Taking place from 17 October to 7 November 2026, the festival’s theme, ’Money, Finance and the Cost of Living’, will bring together academics, community groups and members of the public to explore some of the most pressing issues affecting society today. All events are free and open to the public.
Through talks, panel discussions, workshops, film and interactive activities, visitors will have the opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research examining topics including poverty and the criminal justice system, artificial intelligence, wealth and political power, financial decision-making, and the challenges facing young people as they transition from education into work.
The University’s programme begins on 22 October with Forty Years of Handsworth Songs, a special screening marking the 40th anniversary of the award-winning documentary film Handsworth Songs. The event will be followed by a discussion of the film’s enduring legacy and its relevance to contemporary discussions about race, identity and social change, led by Dr John Fagg with Trevor Mathison of the Black Audio Film Collective and Professor Daniel McNeil, Stuart Hall Interdisciplinary Chair.
On 28 October, Cost of Living and the Criminalisation of Poverty will bring together Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay and a panel of experts to explore how financial hardship intersects with the criminal justice system through discussion, real-world scenarios and audience participation.
The same day, Dr Annum Rafique from City-REDIÂ joins a panel of leading social scientists from the Midlands Innovation university partnership to share the latest research on the impacts of the cost of living challenge at Aston Business School.
The Assetocracy: Wealth, Power, and Elitism in the House of Lords on 29 October will see Dr Huw Macartney and guests including Baroness Natalie Bennett and Professor Matthew Flinders discuss themes from his forthcoming book The Assetocracy, examining wealth concentration, inequality, political representation and the future of democracy in Britain.
Visitors looking for a hands-on experience can take part in Down the AI Rabbit Hole, held at the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) on Saturday 31 October, a family friendly, interactive game led by Dr Hui Li exploring how artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing everyday financial decisions, from mortgages and budgeting to pensions and fraud prevention.
Young people, academics and industry experts will come together on 3 November for What Next? Moving on From Education – Money, Work and Belonging, an event organised by the Centre on Household Assets and Savings Management (CHASM) in association with The Campaign for Social Science. The discussion will focus on financial independence, employment and feelings of belonging during a cost-of-living crisis.
Rounding off the programme on 4 November, Cost of Living in a Medieval Society: An Interactive Roleplaying Workshop led by Dr Mary Dawood and Dr Kamilya Suleymenova invites participants to step back to 1315 and experience the challenges of navigating the Great Famine, using historical roleplay to explore inequality, crisis and decision-making.
The ESRC Festival of Social Science is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and celebrates the impact social science research has on society, helping people better understand the world around them and the challenges facing communities today.
For more information and to book tickets, visit: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/about/college-of-social-sciences/esrc