Get creative with clay and make moves on the dance floor to learn about the gestures and symbols of diplomacy in the ancient Roman world.

This is a fun, hands-on workshop, ideal for children aged 8-12 (younger children are also welcome) who enjoy creative activities and learning about the past.

You'll learn about tokens of guest-friendship use in the ancient Roman world and make your own version, and then learn about the power of nonverbal communication and body gesture by developing your own dance based on ancient stories about diplomatic interactions. What similarities and differences between you and the ancient Romans will you discover?

There are two workshops running: one in the morning (11:00-13:00) and one in the afternoon (13:30-15:30). You will be able to select the session when booking. Both sessions start with storytelling and crafting activities (working with air drying clay and colouring-in options), followed by a choreography workshop. We recommend participants wear comfortable, loose clothing they can move easily in and to bring refreshments (water and snacks). We will provide small boxes to carry your craft work home with you, and will invite you to have your artwork photographed for an Online Legacy gallery.

This is a free event, recommended for children aged 8-12 (younger children are also welcome), and booking is essential: please book your place to avoid disappointment. Children must be accompanied by their guardian. Children and accompanying adults are both required to book a ticket (for room capacity reasons).

We will circulate a reminder and useful information about the event and venue nearer the time and advise that you leave sufficient time for travel in order to arrive in good time for the event. Here is information about Getting to the Library of Birmingham | Birmingham City Council (https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50132/visiting_the_library_of_birmingham/1408/getting_to_the_library_of_birmingham).

Please note that videography / photography will take place during these session. This is to assist in our evaluation process, as well as provide us with future marketing material which may be used online (including social media). We understand that you may not want yourself or your child photographed, therefore we will seek permissions on the day via media consent forms.

This event is part of Being Human Festival , the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 5-14 November 202 6. Being Human is led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please see Being Human Festival (https://www.beinghumanfestival.org/)

As Being Human Festival events are free, not everyone who asks for tickets comes to our events. To make sure we have a full house we allocate more tickets than there are seats/places. Admission is on a first come, first served basis, so please arrive in good time for the start of the event.

Description supplied by the event organiser.