A week dedicated to empowering students and the local community to get involved with social action has been announced by The University of Sheffield.

The Festival for Social Action is set to run from 24 to 28 of March and was organised by Change Lab, pictured above, an in-house organisation in the University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union.

Jessica Hudson, the Project Coordinator for Change Lab, said: “We hope this festival is a way of bringing people together, giving hope and inspiring people to positively impact local communities.”

The three themes of the festival are Climate and Conservation, Land and Spaces, and Migration and Justice.

The festival will consist of 16 events throughout the week that are free and open to public.

Some of the events on offer include lectures, guest speakers, interactive workshops, volunteering opportunities and a music festival.

Professor Ross Cameron, a senior lecturer in the School of Architecture and Landscape at the University of Sheffield, is set to give a presentation titled ‘Valuing Nature’.

Prof Cameron said that his presentation will highlight ‘how we seem to not see the bigger picture when it comes to trying to secure a future of our own species’.

He said: “So a cheery, light-hearted topic really.”

Professor Cameron will say in his presentation that most people are either very passionate or very neutral about climate and conservation and the other themes of the festival.

One student seemed particularly interested in the theme of Land and Spaces.

Harriet Coates, 19, a Geography and Planning student, said: “It really interests me as I want green and fairer spaces to be created and for brownfield sites to be developed ethically and sustainably.”

Dr Sammia Poveda, a lecturer in International Development in the Department of Geography at the University of Sheffield, will host a workshop partly titled Activism Through a Lens: A Workshop on Participatory Video.

Participatory video is a type of media where a community makes a film together to explore an important issue such as social action and give a platform to unheard voices.

The workshop was made in collaboration with two of her students.

Dr Poveda said: “It will be intense but fun, I hope many can join us.” 

Main Image: The Change Lab team who have been organising the Festival. Featured from left to right: Daria Slaby, Jess Hudson, Lily Byrne, Haris Jamil.