Women entrepreneurs in Scotland: Surviving the Pandemic and its Aftermath – Tuesday 19 October 2021, 1-2pm
Women who run their own businesses have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Join us for this talk with Prof Norin Arshed (University of Dundee) to find out more about her study with focus groups with women across Scotland. Norin’s work involves informing and influencing…
Curious Creatives: Art from a Child’s Perspective – 18 October 2021
There is growing concern that creative subjects such as art, music and drama are being side-lined in schools in favour of other subjects. However, creative education is also seen as a crucial step in developing skills in young children. This…
Dundee Arts Cafe returns in October 2021
Dundee Arts Cafe is delighted to return during the Festival of the Future 2021. Curious Creatives: Art from a Child’s Perspective will take place on Tuesday 5 October at 1-2pm. This online talk with Dr Anna Robb will explore how…
Dundee Arts Cafe Series 2019/2020
Due to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we have unfortunately had to cancel the remaining events in this year’s Dundee Arts Cafe series. These were due to to take place as follows: Tuesday 14 April – Curious Creatives: Art from…
Postponed: Curious Creatives: Art from a Child’s Perspective – Tuesday 14 April 2020, 6pm
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are postponing this Dundee Arts Café event. Many apologies for the inconvenience this may cause. We shall be in touch in due course. There is growing concern that creative subjects such as art, music and…
Dealing with Human Rights Abuses in Conflict – Tuesday 4 February 2020, 6pm
The international community has developed many laws, norms and institutions to address violent conflict and violations of human rights. Yet, concrete action to protect people in war zones and conflicts frequently fails to live up expectations. This talk draws on…
Solving Environmental Issues Together – Tuesday 12th November 2019
We are currently facing a grave climate emergency. Unless we take urgent action, the increase in global temperature threatens human society and all life on our planet. It’s a daunting thought, but what can we do about it? There are…
Guns, Violence and Toxic Masculinity in the USA – Tuesday 1st October 2019, 6pm
Frequently, the reports that reach our shores from the other side of the Atlantic tell the story of a country dealing with the aftermath of a tragic mass shooting. The USA’s complex relationship with guns can be traced back to…
Changing Stop and Search in Police Scotland – Tuesday 4 June 2019, 6pm
The police practice of stop and search in Scotland was at one time being conducted at a rate about seven times higher than that of the London Metropolitan Police. It was unaccountable, largely unrecorded and mostly ‘ignored’ by political leaders…
Russian Politics under Putin – Tuesday 16 April 2019, 6pm
Many observers of Russian politics have been perplexed by the high levels of popular support which President Putin has been able to command. This is despite the fact the he has centralised power in the Kremlin, reduced the powers of…
Random Access Memories: Nostalgia and Video Games – Tuesday 5 February 2019, 6pm
Many of us today have fond memories of playing video games in our childhood, and continue to be video games fans to this day. The sights, sounds, and styles of classic games such as Space Invaders, Super Mario Bros. or…
Frankenstein: The Books That Made The Monster – Tuesday 13 November 2018, 6pm
The teenage author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, was an avid reader, as her detailed diaries reveal. But her most iconic creations, Victor Frankenstein and his Monster, are fatally corrupted by their own exposure to books. Frankenstein immerses himself in the…
Penguins – Public Art on Parade – Tuesday 2 October 2018, 6pm
This summer has seen the streets of Dundee populated by a waddle of colourful penguin sculptures commissioned by Maggie’s Dundee, a charity that supports people and families affected by cancer. The penguin sculpture was designed by Janice Aitken and each…
Art and Design Stories – Made in Dundee – Tuesday 8 May 2018, 6pm
Each year, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design is transformed into Scotland’s largest exhibition space. The 10 day event showcases the work of over 350 of the University of Dundee’s graduating art, design and architecture students. At the…
Modern Social Work: Participation in Risky Spaces – Tuesday 17 April 2018, 6pm
Social work and social workers are often in the hot seat. They work in the uneasy spaces between participation, responsibility and risk, big ideas that don’t always get along. Recent policy talk says that the public and service users must…
Myth-busting the Generational Divide – Tuesday 6 February 2018, 6pm
The idea of a generational divide, where one generation is pitched against another, has emerged once again in the press and policy discussions. A popular argument is that Baby Boomers, who have benefited most from public welfare and economic prosperity,…
The Art of Making Trouble – Tuesday 7 November 2017, 6pm
Artist and activist, Prof Joseph DeLappe, likes making trouble. From hacking drones to selling despotic dictators on eBay, nothing is off limits, as he uses his over 30 years’ experience in online gaming and sculpture to create projects that react…
Usain Bolt – Can Celebrity Boost Tourism? Tuesday 3 October 2017, 6pm
What makes a tourist destination attractive? Can (and should) famous people make a destination more desirable? This event explores the connections between celebrity and tourism through a discussion of Usain Bolt, the world’s most successful and recognisable athlete. Dr Susan…
The More You Look, The More You See – Tuesday 19 September 2017, 6pm
A new exhibition explores the rich collections of objects and art from Dundee’s past, as part of the celebrations of The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum’s 150th Anniversary. Calum Colvin’s ‘Museography’ positions a number of his intriguing photographs within…
Summer 2017 break
Thank you everyone who came along to our Dundee Arts Cafe series 2016 It’s been another great success, with topics ranging from art, culture, politics, gaming, and comics to name but a few. It’s time for Dundee Arts Cafe to take…
Women and Celebrity Culture – Tuesday 6 June 2017, 6pm
From the earliest days of the film industry, women have played key roles as both professionals and spectators. The division between the two has blurred today in the age of reality TV and social media – but the dynamic relationship…
Meet the Dundee Degree Show Artists – Tuesday 2 May 2017, 6pm
Each year, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design’s Matthew and Crawford Buildings are transformed into Scotland’s largest exhibition space to showcase the work of over 350 of the University of Dundee’s graduating art, design and architecture students. For…
Scottish Politics in Brexit Britain – Tuesday 14 March 2017, 6pm
The Brexit vote has sent shockwaves through British and European politics. We know that the UK is almost certain to leave the European Union, but not how or what effect this change will have. We also know that this decision…
Jamming in Dundee: The Art of Making Games – Tuesday 7 February 2017, 6pm
Dundee is central to the story of the computer games revolution. In this fast-paced industry, designers and programmers have created decades of innovation and opportunity. And to keep up with a relentless pace of change, game makers need to be…
Minecraft: A Shift in Learning – Tuesday 6th December 2016
Minecraft is fast becoming one of the world’s most popular computer games, especially amongst children, allowing them to freely express, share and celebrate their inherent creativity. Derek Robertson from the University of Dundee will explore the wondrous simplicity and complexity…
Creating Comics: A Celebration of H.G. Wells – Tuesday 1st November 2016
H.G. Wells is one of the most influential science fiction writers of all time. Among his many works are The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, and The Invisible Man, which brought futuristic, new ideas to life and showed…
Memories of Food in Dundee – Tuesday 4th October 2016
Food plays an essential part in our everyday life, but is much more than a necessity, as we create culture and places where food takes centre stage. From trusted food shops that visit time after time, to our favourite eating…
Games Consoles – A New Voice in Music – Tuesday 6th September 2016
Computer gaming and games design are one of Dundee’s modern success stories, with the city shaping some of the World’s most successful games (Lemmings, Grand Theft Auto and Minecraft to name a few). New games were designed for the latest…
Summer break
A big thank you to all who came along to our Dundee Arts Cafe series 2015 The Dundee Arts Cafe team are taking a well earned rest over the summer holidays, as well as planning an exciting new series starting…
Power to the People – What Happens When The Lights Go Out – Tuesday 7th June, 6pm
During the winter of 2014 the UK was hit by an exceptional run of winter storms, leading to serious coastal damage and widespread flooding. This extreme weather caused disruption to electricity supply across the country, with over 100,000 people facing…
The Animation of Movement – Tuesday 3rd May 2016, 6pm
For the last 15 years Brendan Body has been a computer animator working in film and television. He has worked on popular films such as Harry Potter, The Amazing Spider-man, Pacific Rim, and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.…
Eco Design and Low Energy Buildings – Tuesday 1st March 2016, 6pm
Mind the Gap When Volkswagen were caught out cheating emissions tests, the gap between performance promised by manufacturers and the reality was substantial, causing uproar. But quietly, bubbling away under the surface and hidden under piles of paperwork are the…
Do Politicians Really Represent Us? Tuesday 2nd February 2016, 6pm
What does it mean to be represented in a political system where politicians are elected by individuals but are expected to toe their party line on policy? How has devolution changed people’s perceptions of being represented at different levels of government?…
Clearances and Land Reform in Scotland – Tuesday 1st December 2015, 6pm
As Scottish politicians grapple with a new Land Reform bill, Dr Annie Tindley will explore the historical background of this contentious issue, from the Highland clearances, the Land War of the 1880s, and how perceptions of these events have, and…
Childhood, Youth and Poverty on the Streets of Africa – Tuesday 6th October, 6pm
Child poverty is on the rise. Poverty is a significant barrier to young people’s well-being whether this be in Dundee, across the UK or the poorest cities across Africa. Now is a timely moment therefore to consider how young people…
Hearts – Behind the Exhibition – Tuesday 8th September 2015, 6pm
A warm welcome to you all after our summer break. We have got a fantastic series of discussions planned for you from September 2015 to June 2016. Prof Nikolai Zhelev and Curator Clare Brennan will discuss the exhibition ‘Hearts’ which…
Summer break
A big thank you to all who came along to our Dundee Arts Cafe series 2014 The Dundee Arts Cafe team are taking a well earned rest over the summer holidays, as well as planning an exciting new series starting…
Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and the unmade Macbeth – Tuesday 2nd June 2015, 6pm
Dr Jennifer Barnes explores the story of Laurence Olivier’s unmade Shakespeare film, Macbeth. Since Macbeth was shelved in 1958 it has gained a reputation as representing a gap in the fabric of Britain’s national cinema with a variety of scholars…
Rethinking What Art Is (And Can Be) In A Digital Age – Tuesday 5th May 2015, 6pm
Mobile devices, computer networks and new ways of accessing information and people across space and time, has led to a revolution in art – one which some museums have been reluctant to acknowledge. Artists have long experimented with new tools,…
Making Jewellery Work – Tuesday 21st April 2015, 6pm
Founded in Dundee in 2009, Vanilla Ink celebrates and supports emerging jewellers in an open and honest environment; breeding creativity, skill sharing and strengthening the sector across Scotland and beyond. Vanilla Ink builds a community that engages with its surroundings…
Mary Slessor – No Ordinary Missionary – Tuesday 3rd March 2015, 6pm
Mary Slessor was an Aberdeen quine, who moved to Dundee in the 1850’s when the mills were at their height and worked tirelessly with the Church to improve lives for the working class. She then moved on as a Missionary…
Seeing Double: The Colour Blind Test Series – Tuesday 3rd February 2015, 6pm
Artist David Lyons hides visual messages in plain sight by investigating the idea that artwork can be intentionally created to be experienced differently dependent on one’s visual abilities. His work both communicates unique details to individuals with colour blindness and…
Dundee and the Great War: Patriotism and Propaganda – Tuesday 2nd December 2014, 6pm
Dundee became a leading centre of British press patriotism and propaganda. As ‘war hysteria’ quickly reached fever pitch the Dundee press encouraged the public to actively participate in their campaign to pillory any ‘shirker’ not in uniform and castigating as…
What Shape Is The Internet In? Tuesday 4th November 2014, 6pm
The way in which we retrieve and consume information has changed considerably in recent years, with the evolution of the digital world fast developing. Is this the future, or is there radical change to come? From arts, science, culture, and…
Understanding Ourselves and Others Through Digital Jewellery – Tuesday 4th November 2014, 6pm CANCELLED
Unfortunately, due to unforseen circumstances, this event has had to be cancelled. However, Prof Jon Rogers from the Duncan of Jordanstone, University of Dundee will instead be discussing his work with NASA, and other projects. More details will soon be available.
The Referendum: Taking Stock – Tuesday 7th October 2014, 6pm
Three weeks after Scotland’s independence referendum, Prof Chris Whatley, Scottish historian and author of the acclaimed The Scots and the Union: Then and Now (2014), reflected upon the campaign for independence, the result, and the future for Scotland, either within…
Shaping our Creative City – Tuesday 2nd September 2014, 6pm
If you missed Gillian Easson’s inspiring and thought-provoking talk you can watch it here Dundee is at a unique point in time, a city with a major transformation underway, it’s shape, size and scope present a number of opportunities for…
Dundee Arts Cafe is Back with a Bang!
That’s right – Dundee Arts Cafe is back. Your regular monthly conversation about the arts will return to the cafe at The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum on Tuesday 2nd September 2014. A look at creativity in Dundee and…
Whose Transition Is It Anyway? Tuesday 6th May 2014, 6pm
Starting school, moving classes or moving schools are exciting progressions in the life of every child, however some children find these educational transitions difficult. To understand how to help children make these transitions a wealth of research has been undertaken that…
Rethinking Art and the Highlands – Tuesday 15th April 2014, 6pm
The Scottish Highlands have given rise to one of the great oral, literary and musical cultures of the world, but the visual aspect of that Gaelic culture has received relatively little attention, even though it is known to be important.…
Sketches from the Lives of Women in Nineteenth Century Scotland – Tuesday 4th March 2014
The demand for popular literature, magazines and newspapers greatly expanded in the nineteenth century, as levels of literacy rose and newspapers became cheaper. Women formed an important readership for this burgeoning literature. They also made their contribution as authors, whether…
Missing Journeys: Exploring the Experiences of Being a ‘Missing Person’ – Tuesday 4th February 2014, 6pm
In the UK it is estimated that over 300,000 missing person’s incidents are recorded by the police each year which means that a person in the UK is recorded missing by the police approximately every two minutes and a typical…
Proving Your Identity: The Passports of the Future – Tuesday 3rd December 2013, 6pm
As more of our lives become digital, we use the internet increasingly for dealing with everything from applying for a driver’s license to shopping and social networking. Do you suffer from having too many passwords and pin codes that you…
Mary Lily Walker: From Science to Society – Tuesday 5th November 2013, 6pm
Mary Lily Walker was one of the University of Dundee’s first graduates and was responsible for transforming lives across the city by introducing social and healthcare reform throughout late-Victorian Dundee. Mary Lily was not only one of the first women…
The Art of Film Adaptation with Dr Brian Hoyle – Tuesday 1st October 2013, 6pm
This talk from Brian Hoyle (University of Dundee) will discuss the ways in which films are created and will lead you through through a comparison of several Oscar-winning directors, films and the novels and plays they were adapted from. The…
Modern Masters: In Print – A Personal View – Tuesday 3rd September 2013 at 6pm
Dundee Arts Café returns with a news series and kicks off with a personal reflection of the latest exhibition at The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum. Modern Masters in Print: Works by Matisse, Dali and Warhol is an exhibition…
Summer Holidays
Thank you everyone who came along to one of our Arts Cafe events in 2012 and 2013, what a great season it’s been – with talks on portraiture, shipwrecks, the lord of the rings, poetry and history it’s been a…
A Private View – Rescheduled for Tuesday 4th June at 6pm
This talk from Esther Reed and the Nethergate Writers was postponed from May due to an unfortunately timed power cut, we are sorry about the disappointment in this last minute cancellation but we have managed to reschedule this event. Please…
Rethinking the Recession and our Role in its Making – 16th April 2013
A blogpost discussing the topics covered at this event and written by Kirsteen is now available at the Bright Green Scotland website. In the brutality of the recession we have an opportunity to redesign our society for the better. In order…
Stories from the Past: Women working in Dundee – 5th March 2013
This arts cafe talk by Laura Paterson used oral history recollections to explore aspects of women’s work in Dundee from 1945 to 1970. With the audience, Laura reminisced on Dundee’s past, particularly memories of homes, housing conditions, housework and the effect…
Performance within Portraiture – 5th February 2013
This talk by Clare Brennan, from the University of Abertay, discussed how her large scale oil paintings and small scale drawings seek to create performance within portraiture, using realism to portray the unreal. She finds the notion of creating fantastical…
From Lord of the Rings to the Hobbit: How Peter Jackson Draws in an Online Audience – 4th December 2012
The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit books have a huge fan base who have watched carefully as Peter Jackson has turned these iconic works into engaging films. This presentation by Professor David Finkelstein – University of Dundee, examined…
Shipwrecks: Visualising Disasters at Sea – 6th November 2012, with Dr Chris Rowland
Major disasters at sea such as the explosion and subsequent oil spill on the Deep Water Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, and more recently, the partial sinking of the Costa Concordia cruise liner of the Italian coast…
Learning from Leonardo: The lasting influence of Leonardo da Vinci on Medical and Anatomical art – 2nd October 2012
Dr Caroline Erolin from the University of Dundee looked at who Leonardo da Vinci was and why he has come to be known as the archetypal Renaissance man. A brief overview of the history of medical and anatomical art helped…
Negotiating the Past:Shakespeare’s Medieval Inheritance – 4th September 2012
This superb and topical talk on Shakespeare’s legacy was timed to coincide with the World Shakespeare Festival, which had been all over the TV screens. Dr Jo George, from the English dept at the University of Dundee, discussed the medieval…
Losing Focus on Sustainable Development – 12th June 2012 with Andrea Ross
Our audience really enjoyed this thought provoking talk from Andrea Ross, Professor of Environmental law at the University of Dundee. In May 2010, the UK Coalition Government set itself the objective of becoming the ‘Greenest Government yet’. But in July…
Should Humanities Be Taught At University? – 1st May 2012 with Prof. Nicholas Davey
On Tuesday 1st May 2012 Nicholas Davey, Professor of Philosophy in the School of Humanities at the University of Dundee presented this thought provoking discussion on the value of humanities education. The Humanities tradition in British Universities is facing a…
The Stuff of Life – Embracing the Everyday Through Art with Tracy Mackenna and Edwin Janssen
On Tuesday 17th April 2012 we hosted this talk from local artists from the University of Dundee. Professor Tracy Mackenna and Edwin Janssen’s diverse and creative practice is a site for production, social engagement, participation and reflection. They focus on…
Designing Cities for Post Riot Britain – Mike Press, 6th March 2012
How should design respond to the challenges facing our cities today, particularly in the wake of the recent riots? Should we be ‘designing against rioting’ or designing more inclusive communities? This talk draws directly on research, undertaken for government departments,…
How Online Audiences Influence Digital Design – 7th February 2012
We’re back with our first talk in 2012 from Gregor White, from the University of Abertay. Gregor is the Director of Academic Enterprise at their Institute of Arts, Media and Computer Games. This short talk will identify and discuss a…
Videos of Previous talks online
We have recently added Dr. Kenny McAlpine’s talk on preserving musical instruments through digital recordings and Prof. Yolande Muschamp’s talk on the Scottish ‘Curriculum for Excellence. Visit our You Tube channel and subscribe. We will be uploading more videos soon!
Does Humanitarian Intervention Work? – 6th December 2011
Over recent years the idea of humanitarian intervention has never been far from media attention. On one hand the so-called ‘CNN effect’ has put pressure on – often reluctant – governments to ‘do something’ when graphic accounts of violence across…
H.G.Wells and Cinema – Turning Science Fiction into Science Fact – 1st November 2011
The McManus Cafe, Dundee hosted this short talk and discussion on science fiction and the dawn of cinema. This event covered H.G.Wells’s most famous story The Time Machine and a range of his other short stories. Dr. Keith Williams from…
The V&A at Dundee – A Cultural Collaboration – 4th October 2011
V&A at Dundee will be an international centre for design housed in a world-class building at the heart of Dundee’s waterfront. It will host major exhibitions of international design, celebrate Scotland’s design heritage, inspire and promote contemporary talent, and encourage design…
First Talk of the New Season – Dundee and Globalization, 1850-2010
The new season of Dundee Arts Cafe starts on Tuesday 6th September at 6pm in the McManus Cafe. Our first speaker this year is Professor Jim Tomlinson, a lecturer in History from the University of Dundee. By the first world…
2010/2011 season now finished – new programme coming soon for 2011/2012
Our first season of Dundee Arts Cafe events concluded last night with an intriguing talk from Dr Kenny McAlpine based on using technology to simulate harpsichord sounds. We would like to thank everyone for making this series such a success,…
Next talk – Striking a chord: bringing old musical instruments back to life
Musical instruments have long proved a source of fascination for adults and children alike. Who amongst us hasn’t felt the urge to reach out and tap a drum or rattle off a quick rendition of ‘chopsticks’ when confronted with a…
Next Talk – ‘The World and Us: How Globalisation Affects Everyone’ – 3rd May 2011
Our next Dundee Arts Cafe Talk is at 6pm on Tuesday 3rd May by Catia Montagna from the University of Dundee. Catia will be discussing some of the key aspects of economic globalisation, including how they affect the way we…
Natural Magic – 5 April 2011 with Calum Colvin
This talk, entitled ‘Natural Magic’, is based on Calum Colvin’s recent exhibition of stereoscopic work at the RSA in Edinburgh. The title comes from the book ‘Letters on Natural Magic addressed to Sir Walter Scott 1832’ by Sir David Brewster…
The Curriculum for Excellence: Freedom to Teach or a ‘Scotch Mist’? – 1st March 2011
The introduction of the new Curriculum for Excellence in Scottish primary schools has caused controversy and created many new challenges for teachers, administrators and parents. Alongside the recent Donaldson review of teacher education this timely talk will review the effects…
The City That Lost its Memory – 1st February 2011
Join us at the stunning surrounding of the recently re-vamped McManus Cafe for our first Dundee Arts Cafe talk of 2011 with Professor Charles McKean. Charles will focus on describing Dundee during its peak period as a port in the…
Celebrating the Toon: The Importance of Dundee’s Comics – 7th December 2010
Comics have long been one of Scotland’s most important cultural and artistic exports, with Dundee at the centre of that success. The comics produced by DC Thomson, notably The Dandy and The Beano, have commanded worldwide audiences for decades, and…
Avatars Have Emotions Too! The Art and Science of Believable Facial Animation – 2nd November 2010
What makes for an authentic facial expression? While there has been a great deal of scientific research examining the psychology of expressions, there has not been much research into the appearance of traditionally animated characters. Join Robin Sloan of Abertay…
Dundee Waterfront Project: the V&A Effect – 5th October 2010
The Dundee Waterfront Project is an ambitious long-term development project to reconnect Dundee city centre with the Tay, and is one of the most notable forward-thinking projects in Scotland today. The Dundee Waterfront vision is to transform, energise and connect…
Twisted by Design: Who do we Think We’re Designing For? – 7th September 2010
Join us for the first of our 2010/2011 Dundee Arts Cafe events! This talk will be presented by Dr Jon Rogers from the University of Dundee, and will be held on Tuesday the 7th of September at 6pm at The…
Welcome to Dundee Arts Cafe
Dundee Arts Cafe is a new series of events discussing Arts and Humanties research in Dundee over coffee. Together with the University of Dundee, the University of Abertay and the University of St Andrew’s, Dundee Arts Cafe brings you the…