One night only! Come along for an evening of live performance, music, and research as you’ve never seen it before.

Experiences of illness and disability can be marginalised, difficult, unspeakable, unacknowledged or invisible. They deliver us as individuals and collectively to crossroads of all kinds – confronting us with choices around how to be, how to care and what to do.

Join us for 'Crossroads: A Research Cabaret', an evening of live music, poetry, dance, stand-up comedy, and surprises to inspire fresh perspectives on health decision-making. Featuring researchers from the across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiHt4TQo6CWAxU-QEEAHb00N8sQFnoECBwQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.durham.ac.uk%2Fdepartments%2Facademic%2Farts-humanities%2F&usg=AOvVaw2Tn_HOdQ64r24msZJPH_Tl&opi=89978449), Durham University, the Institute for Medical Humanities (https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/medical-humanities/), plus a 'lived experience poetry slam' presented by National Poetry Centre (https://nationalpoetrycentre.org.uk/) performance poets.

Come along for a night of research as you’ve never experienced before (unless you came to the past three cabarets)!

Though tickets are free, reserving your place is essential!

Watch our explainer video - What is a Research Cabaret? (https://canva.link/9yj645xwyqye323)

Doors open 18:30. There will be an interval at 20:10 for 25 minutes.

This event is part of Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 5-14 November 2026. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please see beinghumanfestival.org (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.beinghumanfestival.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Crebecca.j.doggwiler%40durham.ac.uk%7C58c307200edb473a0b5508dccecb8d5f%7C7250d88b4b684529be44d59a2d8a6f94%7C0%7C0%7C638612620843532940%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=JDoBqVimv%2FCme0vSu3ZCYzW%2FqN%2B0xFYu3xxtGPxeK9M%3D&reserved=0).

Accessibility

step-free access, disabled toilets, free parking (must be validated by reception), full event schedule with content warnings, private bar for the event outside of main performance space accessible at all times.

Description supplied by the event organiser.