Taster Events

 Monday 22 June 2026: 17:00 - 18:00pm (BST) 

English is a way of showing curiosity about the world. Because of this, it shares ideas with many disciplines, while melding these into a distinct new 'language' of its own: literary theory. This workshop introduces key ideas of literary theory and ways of putting these to work. Does literature reflect the world or help construct it? Or always both at the same time?

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Tuesday 23 June 2026: 17:00-18:00pm (BST) 

Join this session to discover how Cinderella has always been a model and an influencer and how Cinderella's fairy godmother is an ultra-savvy fashion designer. We'll look at fashion and dress in the text published by Charles Perrault in 1697 and then fastforward to contemporary couture and global catwalks in a bid to understand the flexibility and ongoing relevance of the fairy tale form.

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Tuesday 23 June 2026: 17:00 - 18:00pm (BST)

This interactive session is split into two parts.

Part 1: Decoding Cinema – How Films Make Meaning (20 mins)

Ever wondered why a specific camera angle makes you feel uneasy, or why a certain lighting style feels "heroic"? In this session, we go beyond the screen to explore Film Studies as a critical lens. Using iconic examples from early classics to modern blockbusters, we’ll break down how camera movement, performance, and mise-en-scène work together to tell a story. You’ll discover how cinema does more than just entertain. It’s a powerful cultural text that shapes our history, our politics, and our everyday lives.

Part 2: Cultural Iconography – The Power of the Film Star (20 mins)

What makes a movie star more than just a famous face? This session introduces you to the fascinating world of Film Stardom and how actors embody massive cultural ideas. From the legends of the silent era to the A-listers of today, we’ll analyse how film studios craft star images to promote messages about national identity, gender, and class. We’ll also look at how stars take control of their own narratives, proving that the "star image" is a complex, multifaceted tool for shaping public perception.

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Thursday 25 June 2026: 17:00 - 18:00pm (BST) 

Discover the Russian language from scratch in an engaging one-hour taster session, designed especially for complete beginners. Often seen as mysterious, Russian is a fascinating and highly logical language, rich in history, literature, and cultural depth. By the end of the session, you’ll have explored a glimpse of Russian culture, learned how the alphabet works, and taken your very first steps towards reading in Russian—opening the door to an entirely new linguistic world.

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Wednesday 24 June 2026: 17:00 - 18:00pm (BST)

How can a poem become an image? In this session, you’ll explore calligrams, a form of poetry where layout and meaning are closely connected, through the work of Guillaume Apollinaire. You’ll develop strategies to understand authentic French texts and experiment with creative writing by producing your own calligram inspired by iconic London landmarks such as Big Ben or Tower Bridge. Discover how studying languages at university goes beyond vocabulary, combining literature, visual culture and creative thinking.

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Monday 13 July 2026: 11:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Are you interested in how AI actually works and how it can have a positive impact on our environment? Join Mathematicians at Queen Mary University of London to find out. In an interactive session you can use real data from wildlife conservation projects and explore the mathematics behind one of today's most exciting technologies.

Designed for students in Years 10–13, the session takes you through a genuine research pipeline used by scientists in the field. You'll use AI to identify individual animals from images, then apply statistical models to estimate how many animals are living in the wild, exactly the kind of work being done right now to protect endangered species like sea turtles.

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