The Barbara Hepworth

Lectures

2016/2017

Wakefield Girls’ High School

Welcome to this year’s Barbara Hepworth Series. I hope you will enjoy the programme of talks this year. This is my

last programme of talks since The Hepworths were inaugurated in 2012. I am delighted that I will be succeeded by Mr Sheehan who I know will do a fantastic job in running

the programme.

I’d like to thank the many speakers who came to the school, who gave up their time to speak to students and offer us their insights and expertise. I’ve learned a lot personally

from each and every speaker, and I hope you will feel the same after this year.

As usual, there is an eclectic mix of talks that are designed to appeal to all audiences.

Among the many topics, there will be talks on disability rights, women in science, as well as discussion of the big

forces of globalism that are polarising opinion following the UK Brexit vote earlier this year.

All of the talks are designed to help give you an insight into the world you will be asked to shape and to engender the kind of

curiosity and creativity we expect all High School girls to develop.

Our speakers have agreed to come because they believe in these ideas and values. We hope that you will support them

too.

Enjoy!

SPB

“I, the sculptor, am the landscape. I am the

form and I am the hollow, the thrust and

the contour.” Barbara Hepworth, 1961

Barbara Hepworth Lectures - Calendar of Speakers

21 Sep Claire Walker-Gore

28 Sep Linda Harris

5 Oct Alison Wilde

12 Oct David Boyle

19 Oct Vera Tolz

9 Nov Martin Preene

16 Nov Gen Kelsang Delek

23 Nov Michelle Dickson

30 Nov Alan Kershaw

11 Jan Claire Honess

18 Jan Alison Fell

25 Jan Eileen Ingham

1 Feb Angela Saini

8 Feb Sita Popat

1 Mar Stuart Taberner

8 Mar Nicola Stonehouse

15 Mar Francis Hickenbottom

22 Mar Brian Quinn

21th September

Claire Walker Gore

Critical Condition: The Power of Subversive Reading

How do the politics of gender, race and disability play out in

classic literature? How should we view Tiny Tim from A

Christmas Carol, for example, and how many of our current

attitudes are informed by what we read?

Claire Walker Gore demonstrates how to read critically,

thinking about the power and politics behind some of the

best-loved narratives.

Dr Claire Walker Gore is a WGHS Old Girl and a Junior

Research Fellow at Cambridge University. She was identified

as a BBC New Generation Thinker in 2015.

#literature

#culture

#politics

#criticism

28th September

Linda Harris

Investing in People: Social Enterprise

Government and charities are increasingly assisted by the

work of social enterprises, business-orientated ventures that

find innovative solutions to the problems affecting society,

particularly with the concerns of the unemployed or excluded.

Linda Harris talks about the work of Spectrum in the district of

Wakefield and how it makes a real difference in the

community.

Linda Harris is founding Chief Executive of Spectrum

Community Health and trustee of Spectrum People. She is a

former GP and Clinical Director in Wakefield.

www.spectrumhealth.org.uk

#socialenterprise

#society

#health

5th October

Alison Wilde

Inspiration Porn: How Movies and Television Portray

Disability

When the recent film adaptation of popular novel, Me Before

You, hit cinemas, the directors and stars found themselves

defending the film against accusations of perpetuating certain

myths about disability, particularly the storyline about

euthanasia.

Alison Wilde led some of the local campaigning against the

film and explains how her research into perceptions of

disability informs her views.

Dr Alison Wilde is Senior Lecturer at The School of Education

& Childhood, at Leeds Beckett University

http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/staff/dr-alison-wilde/

#disability

#politics

#society

12th October

David Boyle

Funny Money: How our Ideas about Money Keep us

Poor

Why is it that at a time of increased prosperity that a society

cannot afford health, education or social care? Maybe it’s

because the money we use has been rendered useless by

the way the system works. Could alternative currencies be

the answer?

David Boyle explains how bartering, time-dollars, and loyalty

points might point the way to a richer future for all and not just

a few.

David Boyle is an author, journalist and historian. He is a

fellow of the New Economics Foundation.

www.david-boyle.co.uk

#economics

#politics

#localism

#globalism

19th October

Vera Tolz

Russia Today: Understanding the Bear

With talk in some papers of a new ‘Cold War’ and a newly

assertive military, what is the reality behind the headlines?

How do Russians view themselves and the world and what is

the future for this sprawling, gigantic country and its people?

Vera Tolz gives an insight into Russia today and explores

how geography and history have formed current affairs in this

enigmatic nation.

Vera Tolz is Sir William Mather Professor of Russian Studies

at Manchester University. Her books include ‘Russia’s Own

Orient’ and ‘Russia: Inventing the Nation’

#Russia

#geopolitics

#culture

#history

9th November

Martin Preene

Risky Business – How Safe is Safe?

Risk is part of life, and whether we realise it or not, it controls a lot of our behaviours. But in science and engineering we need to understand risk, try and quantify it, and use it to help guide decisions on projects that might affect people and the environment. Problems can occur on sensitive projects such as flood defences, nuclear power plants, or fracking to recover shale gas, where the general public want certainty, but science can only deal in probabilities and predictions. Martin Preene explores how we can understand risk, and how risks might affect the big environmental issues facing society.

.

Dr Martin Preene is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Geologist, and acts as a consultant on projects worldwide. He is Vice-Chairman of the British Geotechnical Association.

#geology

#environment

#engineering

#science

16th November

Gen Kelsang Delek

Mindfulness in a Busy World, Hope in an Uncertain

Future

Living in the modern world can be challenging, giving rise

increasingly to anxiety, worry and stress as we try to navigate

the complexities of everyday life.

Gen Kelsang Delek offers practical and spiritual advice from

her perspective as a Kadampa Buddhist meditation teacher,

talking about the role of meditation and mindfulness in

alleviating the stresses we all encounter.

Gen Kelsang Delek is an English Buddhist nun and Resident Teacher at Madhyamaka Kadampa Meditation Centre near York. madhyamaka.org

#calm

#mindfulness

#spiritual

23rd November

Michelle Dickson

Hyacinths for your Soul: The Importance of Arts in

Society

Without arts, a society can lack vision and a common identity.

The works of Plato and Aeschylus are remembered far more

than the imperial conquests of the Ancient World.

What place do the Arts have in the UK at present and who

are the Arts for? Michelle Dickson of The Arts Council

explores the importance of public subsidy.

Michelle Dickson is a regional director with The Arts Council

based in the Leeds Office.

www.artscouncil.org.uk

#arts

#culture

#publicarts

30th November

Alan Kershaw

Mercy Ships: Hope Floats

Mercy Ships operate the largest charitable floating hospital,

providing free medical care to some of the world’s poorest

people. Staffed almost entirely by volunteers, it has

transformed the lives of more than 2.42 million people since

1978.

Alan Kershaw explains what it’s like to be aboard, the people

he has met and helped during the experience and the ethos

that drives the organisation.

Dr Alan Kershaw is an anaesthetist at Barnsley Hospital and

has spent the last six years working with Mercy Ships

International.

www.mercyships.org.uk

#volunteerism

#medicine

#charity

11th January

Claire Honess

And Dante, And Dante!: The Divine Comedy and its

Influence

Frequently referred to as ‘the father of the Italian language’,

Dante is arguably the father of much of modern Western Art,

through his famous depictions of heaven and hell.

Dante’s life and work provide so many stories that we already

know in part. Claire Honess guides us through the ideas of

this extraordinary poet.

Professor Claire Honess is Director of Italian Studies and Co-

Director of the Leeds Centre for Dante Studies. She recently

appeared on Radio 4’s ‘Great Lives’.

www.leeds.ac.uk

#literature

#culture

#languages

18th January

Alison Fell

How the First World War Changed Women’s Lives in

Britain and France

Women had a wide variety of roles in the First World War. A

few exceptional women became national heroines, risking

their lives close to the front lines. For most women, however,

the war brought new experiences: separation from husbands

or fathers, taking on a new job, or doing a previous job in a

completely new environment, as was the case with trained

nurses working in hospitals on the Western Front. Alison Fell

discusses the range of roles women took up, and explore how

their war experiences had an ongoing impact on their post-

war lives.

Alison Fell is Professor of French Cultural History at the

University of Leeds. Alongside her academic work and public

talks, she has been historical consultant on radio and

television drama productions

www.leeds.ac.uk

#history

#feminism

#France

25th January

Eileen Ingham

Grow it Back: Tissue Regeneration and the Future

Transplantation has been around for a while, saving and

improving quality of life for thousands of patients worldwide.

Rejection has always been a problem but techniques that

help regenerate the tissue around new transplants improves

outlooks for patients.

Eileen Ingham explores the future of tissue regeneration,

through the work of the university research and spin-out

companies.

Professor Eileen Ingham is Deputy Director of The Institute of

Medical & Biological Engineering and Consultant for Tissue

Regenix Group plc.

#medicine

#biology

#future

1st February

Angela Saini

The Rediscovered Woman: How did Science get

Women so Wrong?

Science has often struggled to understand women, often because historically women were excluded from universities and scientific institutions. Even Charles Darwin considered women to be the less evolved sex. But in recent decades, things have changed. New findings in areas from brain science to the menopause are revealing incredible new facts, and transforming our view of women and their role throughout history and for the future.

Angela Saini is an award-winning Science Journalist who

presents science programmes for BBC Radio 4 and The

World Service, writing also for The Guardian, The Economist

and New Scientist.

angelasaini.co.uk

#science

#biology

#feminism

8th February

Sita Popat

Tiny Dancer: What’s the Point of Virtual

Performance?

In the current digital media, our interactions with each other are

frequently distant, remote and absent. Can the performing arts

survive in this world? What happens when we dance using an

avatar in the virtual life?

Sita Popat explains her research into the interaction between the

digital performer and their audience. How does the relationship

between performer and audience change and what forms of

performance art might we expect at the new digital frontiers?

Professor Sita Popat is Chair in Performance and Technology at

the School of Performance and Cultural Industries at Leeds

University and Deputy Director of the Leeds Humanities Research

Institute

#digital

#arts

#culture

1st March

Stuart Taberner

Germany’s Confrontation with the Holocaust in a

Global Context

A recent exhibition of the same name launched at the UK

National Holocaust Centre, The Cape Town Holocaust Centre

and Leeds Town Hall, and was visited by around 30, 000

people.

Stuart Taberner explores Post-war Germany’s efforts to face

up to the horror of German responsibility for the Holocaust,

and draws parallels to how other traumatic pasts, such as

Srebenica, Cambodia and Armenia, are being remembered.

Stuart Taberner is Professor of Contemporary German

Literature, Culture and Society at Leeds University.

#history

#holocaust

#poetry

8th March

Nicola Stonehouse

Viruses – And What to do about Them

Viruses make us vulnerable and are responsible for many

pandemics and dangerous diseases. However, the study of

viruses and the way they replicate holds out many hopes for

future cures and treatments.

Nicola Stonehouse demonstrates how her research group go

about studying these complex organisms and what science is

learning about the threats and promises they present.

Nicola Stonehouse is Professor of Molecular Virology at the

University of Leeds and a member of The Stonehouse

Research Group

#medicine

#biology

#science

15th March

Francis Hickenbottom

The Wakefield Peregrine Story

When the click of a mouse can take us to any part of the

globe to see so many interesting aspects of the natural world,

it is easy to overlook what is happening on our own doorstep.

We can go unaware of the number and variety of species

struggling and competing to survive and reproduce, not just in

the countryside but in the centres of cities such as Wakefield.

Francis Hickenbottom will describe the part that Wakefield

has played in the remarkable recovery of one of the world's

most exciting predators. He will also show what can be learnt

about how the lives of peregrine falcons living very close to

WGHS are linked with the lives of other animals and the

activities of humans not just in the Wakefield area but far

beyond Yorkshire and the UK.

Francis Hickenbottom is a member of the Wakefield

Naturalists Society

#naturalhistory

#environment

#nature

23rd March

Brian Quinn

Humanism for a Better World

Can you be good without God? Are religious value still sound

when there is so much religious conflict in the world? With

women seeming to get a raw deal from religion, could God be

a misogynist?

Brian Quinn details how Humanism offers a different

approach to leading a good life based on reason, equality and

common humanity, and how it hopes to make the world a

better place.

Brian Quinn is the North Yorkshire representative of the

British Humanist Association and sits on local councils and

#religion

#philosophy

#humanism

committees where a non-religious view is required

GUIDANCE FOR STUDENTS

Please look over the brochure carefully in order to make your choices. The hashtags

and description will give you an indication of the ideas being discussed. All talks

should be accessible regardless of whether or not you have any background in the

topic.

Try to be open-minded about which talks would interest you. The talks are not

necessarily designed to help you with your chosen A-Level subjects but to introduce

you to new ideas and issues, and to encourage you to develop an intellectual

curiosity about all things.

MAKING YOUR CHOICES

You can attend as many talks as you wish. You are encouraged to make the most of

the opportunities provided in the programme. Many of the speakers are prominent

experts in their field, most of whom have donated their time freely to speak to the

Sixth Form.

You are required to attend a minimum of six lectures: at least three in the first

session and at least three in the second session.

When you have decided on the talks you wish to attend, please make a note of the

date in your diary and make every effort to attend. A register will be taken.

Return the form with your name and choices to the main office.

EXEMPTIONS

Those students attending CSLA course do not have to attend talks on the days

when they have course commitments, but they should make efforts to ensure that

they attend lectures where they do not have training.

Students taking Further Mathematics on Wednesdays are not required to attend.

Where students have music lessons, they should make efforts to rearrange their

lessons where possible on those days they are attending talks.

FURTHER ENQUIRIES

All other enquiries should be addressed to the Learning Enrichment Co-ordinator

Daniel Sheehan dsheehan@wghsss.org.uk

NAME: __________________________________________________________

DATE SPEAKER

PLEASE TICK

YOUR

CHOICES (min

3 per session)

SESSION

ONE

21 Sep Claire Walker-Gore

28 Sep Linda Harris

5 Oct Alison Wilde

12 Oct David Boyle

19 Oct Vera Tolz

9 Nov Martin Preene

16 Nov Gen Kelsang Delek

23 Nov Michelle Dickson

30 Nov Alan Kershaw

SESSION

TWO

11 Jan Claire Honess

18 Jan Alison Fell

25 Jan Eileen Ingham

1 Feb Angela Saini

8 Feb Sita Popat

1 Mar Stuart Taberner

8 Mar Nicola Stonehouse

15 Mar Francis

Hickenbottom

22 Mar Brian Quinn