Skip to content Accessibility statement

Major arts and humanities event debuts at York

News

Posted on Friday 17 June 2016

The University of York will host ‘Common Ground’, an inaugural arts and humanities showcase and networking event, on 21 June.

Organised by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Commons, this first ever national event will see hundreds of experts from across the UK gather to exchange and discuss ideas to celebrate the value of the arts and humanities and their impact on the world.

Running from 9.30am to 6pm at the University’s Ron Cooke Hub, ‘Common Ground’ will feature exhibits, presentations, workshops, performances, debates and cinema screenings.

Anyone engaged in, or wanting to engage with, arts and humanities projects, from universities and cultural sectors, to businesses and community groups, can come along to this free day.

Professor Richard Clay, AHRC Commons Fellow, said: “This event promises to be a wonderful celebration of the AHRC Commons community, an opportunity to share knowledge and expertise, to establish new networks and projects, to be inspired, and to further develop the case for the importance of arts and humanities research.”

Dr Damian Murphy, University of York Research Champion for Creativity and host of the event, said: “We are delighted to invite the arts and humanities community to the University of York for this first national gathering of the AHRC Commons. Whether you want to be intellectually provoked or to provoke, to offer training or to benefit from it, to celebrate a project, a product, a way of working or to develop a new one, the day has something for everyone.”

The day’s programme runs from 10.00am, with registration open from 9.30am.

More information on how to register for the event, which is free to attend, is available via www.ahrccommons.org. You’ll be able to follow the discussion and debate on the day via Twitter by using the hashtag #AHRCcommons.

Further information

  • The AHRC Commons is an Arts Humanities Research Council initiative, which aims to establish new forums where arts and humanities researchers, from different subject areas and disciplines, can gather with collaborators from other sectors. There is no membership fee. Find out more at: www.ahrccommons.org
  • The Arts and Humanities Research Council funds world-class, independent researchers in a wide range of subjects: history, archaeology, digital content, philosophy, languages, design, heritage, area studies, the creative and performing arts, and much more. This financial year the AHRC will spend approximately £98 million to fund research and postgraduate training in collaboration with a number of partners. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits and contributes to the economic success of the UK but also to the culture and welfare of societies around the globe.

Explore more news

News

24 July 2026

As melting glaciers and shifting climates push mountain ecosystems to the brink, an international team of researchers has outlined a radical new approach aimed at strengthening the resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability of mountains and the societies that depend on them.

News

23 July 2026

A mother’s everyday speech habits have little bearing on her child’s academic success, according to new research led by the University of York.

News

21 July 2026

The newly established Heslington Hall Art Gallery has opened to the public with a major exhibition celebrating the international career of renowned York painter and printmaker John Langton.

News

20 July 2026

A University of York student has completed an 872-mile run from John O’Groats to Land’s End, to shine a spotlight on the underfunding of brain tumour research.

News

20 July 2026

Four years after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, millions of Ukrainians remain displaced, with researchers warning that thousands of refugee children in the UK may be at risk of losing their native language.

Read more news