Looking Back at Southampton Arts & Humanities Festival 2025
The Southampton Arts and Humanities Festival was a massive success this year thanks to all our colleagues, collaborators, suppliers, student ambassadors, exhibitors and visitors.
This festival has opened doors to audiences across the region, sharing stories, sparking curiosity and creating connections that may not have otherwise been possible without an event such as this. It truly is a festival designed to involve and evolve.
This wider 10-day celebration took part from 6-15 November, blending arts, humanities, and social sciences in engaging formats such as talks, guided walks and workshops. The full programme of events can be explored through the festival website.
Arts and Humanities Day 2025
The flagship event for the festival, Arts and Humanities Day, came to life in Southampton’s Cultural Quarter with a spread of activities in over four different venues. More than 528 visitors attended on the day to experience and engage with some of the incredible research and activity happening both at our institution and across the region. Most of the programme took place in the Sir James Matthews Building, where visitors entered through a beautifully decorated arts and humanities themed archway, designed by Sassy Events, and flowed through to a building full of over 35 inspiring activities delivered by more than 160 exhibitors.
Some of the activities available to explore included virtual world memories through Tender Interbeing: the future of design with empathy, encounters with archaeology and digital humanities through interactive research zones, and creative workshops based on Jane Austen’s 250th Celebration and discovering the power of light and sound in our everyday lives. Winchester School of Art delivered a make your own miniature gallery workshop that invited participants to consider the role that size and scale play in their relationship to the world around them- find out more about what they got up to here.
Pop-up performances also featured throughout the day with performances from Music students in the form of a String Quartet, Jimi Gardner, our very own K-POP Society dance group, and even some polar bears.
Community partners, such as Board in The City and The Nightjar Project with African Activities, hosted a range of thought-provoking activities and further community partners encouraged participation through hands-on activities, games, crafts, and interactive storytelling sessions for all ages.
Collaborations with the Southampton branch of the ESRC Festival of Social Science and local Southampton organisations in the cultural quarter expanded the programme. Our cultural partners, SeaCity Museum, Southampton Central Library and John Hansard Gallery provided visitors the opportunity to see inside some of our city’s most intriguing buildings that consistently offer our community insight into history, arts and culture.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve really enjoyed reflecting on the visitor feedback and noticing how much the day meant to those who joined us:
“It is a great event which teaches people especially the young ones to care for fellow human beings, live in balance with nature and technology and arts.”
“The Humanities day showcases the wonderful ways in which learning can connect us and improve our human experience.”
“The whole day was filled with inspirational & engaging students and professionals who were all so eager to share their passion with the public. We finished the event feeling positive, connected and inspired having developed some new or long forgotten skills to take away with us. Our whole experience has been incredibly positive and inspiring, and we are thankful to all at the university who have contributed to such a great day.”
It was also encouraging to receive such thoughtful contributions from both our partners and the event support team…
“We were really pleased about numbers and informal feedback. Lots of our visitors had been to SeaCity museum before but only visited the Titanic. I’d envisaged people taking a quick look before their art activity but actually we had to go in and fish them out, which was lovely to see. It was also lovely to see children coming from other venues and talking about their experiences.”
“I had a brilliant time getting to know people from across the university and learned all sorts of interesting things (who knew earthworms were so interesting?) It was also lovely to be working with young families, which I don’t get to do in my day-to-day life.”
The day itself was captured and broadcast on ITV Meridian (local news), offering greater reach and awareness, encouraging all to get involved in future events.
As we wrap up this fantastic festival, excitement is building for the upcoming Southampton Science and Engineering Festival (SOTSEF). The call for exhibitors is now open, inviting contributions until Monday 12 January. To find out more about how to get involved visit the Exhibitor Area on the SOTSEF website. We look forward to seeing what’s to come for 2026.
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