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Human Sciences
Seminar Series

Schedule

Three events exploring Philosophies of Resistance in Spring 2026

Human Sciences Seminar Series
Established 1979

Pre-Series Event

A preliminary discussion event ahead of the Spring 2026 seminar series

TBD

Stella Stanford & Amber Donovan

Mon 16 March 2026 · 5pm

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In Conversation With:

Environment

Main Seminar Events

Three public seminars exploring themes of resistance, justice, and political philosophy

Frantz Fanon and the Négritude Movement

Frantz Fanon and the Négritude Movement

Komarine Romdenh-Romluc

Wed 25 March 2026 · 2pm - 4pm

Fanon rejected négritude’s embrace of racial identity in favour of revolutionary struggle, arguing that freedom required total transformation of society. This event explores the tensions between culture and resistance in his thought, and considers how his philosophy resonates in today’s political climate.

In Conversation With:

Nahella Ashraf (Stand Up to Racism)

Philosophy in Prisons

Jon Bebb & Leonie Smith

Sat 25 April 2026 · 2pm - 4pm

This event draws on the work of the Philosophy in Prison charity at HMP Stafford, where Jon Bebb and Leonie Smith have collaborated with prison residents and staff since 2019. What began as a small programme of discussion-based workshops has developed into a sustained philosophical community, including introductory and advanced groups and resident-led creative projects in music, art, writing, and performance.
 

Participants will be invited to directly experience philosophy as it is practised within the prison setting, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A reflecting on education, community, and the transformative potential of doing philosophy together.

In Conversation With:

Gavin Kelly (HMP Stafford)

Philosophy in Prisons
The Evolution of Rights and Resistance: From Persons to Peoples

The Evolution of Rights and Resistance: From Persons to Peoples

Barbara Arneil

Wed 27 May 2026 · 2pm - 4pm

This talk traces the evolution of rights through five key historical stages, from their emergence in seventeenth-century England to contemporary debates on collective rights. While rights are often understood as tools of resistance for marginalised groups, the talk argues that they have also functioned as instruments of oppression, rooted in a highly individualist conception of the human subject.
 

The final stage examines how recent developments—such as Indigenous and disability rights—challenge this individualism, offering alternative, relational understandings of people, land, and political belonging.

In Conversation With:

Rishi Milward-Bose (People & Planet)

Venue for Main Seminar Events

All main seminar events will take place at the venue below

    • St Peter’s Square: 10 min walk

    • Deansgate-Castlefield: 15 min walk

    • Salford Central: 2 min walk

    • Manchester Victoria: 15 min walk

    • Manchester Piccadilly: 20 min walk

    • Manchester Oxford Road: 20 min walk

    • Nearest bus stop: Bridge Street (2 min walk)

    • Free bus stops:

      • Gartside Street (1 min walk)

      • King Street / Cross Street (5 min walk)

    • Nearest car parks:

      • Bridge Street, M3 5AH (1 min walk)

      • Spinningfields NCP, M3 3BE (4 min walk)

      • Stanley Street NCP, Salford M3 5EX (4 min walk)

      • New Bailey NCP, Salford M3 5EN (4 min walk)

    Drop off:

    • Bridge Street (opposite museum) or Left Bank layby (drop off only)

    • Blue Badge holders: Bridge Street bays, free

Getting Here

People's History Museum

People’s History Museum
Left Bank
Spinningfields
Manchester
M3 3ER

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