New festival celebrating cultural diversity features eclectic programme ranging from retro gaming to breakdancing to live music

Inaugural Global Festival to get underway this week

Students, staff and their friends are welcome for a celebration of our rich cultural diversity this Thursday (13 October) at the University of Exeter Business School’s inaugural Global Festival, featuring workshops, music, games, film screenings, food, support stands and guest speakers.

The Global Festival will give all members of the Business School and wider University community the chance to make new connections, have fun and learn more about the University’s support services as well as opportunities to share their own experiences and culture.

The festival will start at 16.30 with a range of family-friendly activities, including workshops on printmaking, climate justice, Chinese brush painting and even breakdancing.

Retro and next-gen gaming hire service Joypad Arcade will be bringing along a range of classic consoles and games, and a full range of student-led societies will be in attendance, bringing together students with similar interests as well as providing opportunities to try something new and different.

A selection of world foods will be served from 5pm in La Touché, where there will also be live music and dance from Sweet Nothings and the University of Exeter's Symphony Orchestra.

And in a special keynote speech at 18.30 in the Henderson Lecture Theatre, Exeter's Sanctuary Team members Jim Price and Ben Hudson will be joined by a recent Sanctuary Scholar to talk about their experience of coming to Exeter as an asylum seeker and refugee.

You can listen to their pre-event podcast with Exeter's Podcast Society now (Exeter University Podcast Society: Global Festival Interview, with Jim Price and Ben Hudson! on Apple Podcasts) where they talk about the importance of recognising and supporting asylum seekers and refugees in higher education.

The festival will conclude with a Black History Month screening of the 2021 music documentary Summer of Soul, hosted in partnership with Exeter's Campus Cinema Society.

Professor Alexandra Gerbasi, Dean of the University of Exeter Business School, said: “Here at the University of Exeter Business School, we are committed to a truly embedded inclusive culture that runs through everything we do and represents the diverse community we are and continue to build. That’s why we are thrilled to be holding our first ever Global Festival, a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our rich cultural diversity, with an big and exciting array of activities planned. Everyone is welcome, and I look forward to seeing you there!”

Global Festival is on Thursday 13 October from 16:30pm at the University of Exeter Business School Xfi Building and La Touché Café. For more information and to see the full schedule, visit the Global Festival 2022 website.

Date: 11 October 2022