We hold a wide range of events throughout the year such as music performances, community events, art exhibitions and Open Days for prospective students.

Here you will find the latest community events we have to offer.

You can book your place on one of our community events or call 0845 196 4723/5060.

Hard Rain exhibition

Monday 21 May - Sunday 27 May 2012, Chelmsford campus

One of the most successful photographic exhibitions ever created, Hard Rain is a photographic essay that illustrates the interlinked challenges of climate change, poverty, population expansion, habitat destruction, species extinction, pollution and the wasteful use of resources. The exhibition brings these global challenges alive in a moving and unforgettable way.

The exhibition is taking place outside the William Harvey Building and is free to attend.

To accompany the exhibition, Mark Edwards (founder of the Hard Rain Project) will be giving a public lecture on the project on the 23 May 2012, 6.30pm - 7.30pm, in the Postgraduate Medical Institute.

For more information on the exhibition please visit Hard rain or contact Dr Aled Jones.

Altogether now panel debate series: Responding to a Changing Global Climate

Monday 28 May 2012, 7:30pm, Chelmsford campus

As part of the 'Altogether now festival' we are proud to host a series of panel debates.

Responding to a Changing Global Climate

There are few areas of science that spark such powerful emotions from the public as the study of our changing climate. There is no doubt that our climate is changing but the reasons for, and our approaches to the problems presented by, a warming global climate are both hotly contested and vitally important - to all of our futures.

Members of the panel include:

• Dr Candice Howarth, research fellow of the Global Sustainability Institute at Anglia Ruskin University.
• Rosie Robison, research Fellow on consumer change at Anglia Ruskin University.

Light refreshments will be served from 7:00pm.

For further information and to book your place please contact Rachel Moss on 0845 196 4723.

Altogether now and Transition Chelmsford present: 'The Crisis of Civilization' - Film screening

Wednesday 30 May 2012, 7:30pm, Chelmsford Campus

The crisis of civilization is a documentary feature film investigating how global crises like ecological disaster, financial meltdown, dwindling oil reserves, terrorism and food shortages are converging symptoms of a single, failed global system.

Weaving together archival film footage and animations, film-maker Dean Puckett, animator Lucca Benney and international security analyst Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed - author of A User's Guide to the Crisis of Civilization: And How to Save It - offer a stunning wake-up call proving that 'another world' is not merely possible, but on its way.

The film consists of seven parts which explore the interconnected dynamic of global crises of Climate Catastrophe; Peak Energy; Peak Food; Economic Instability; International Terrorism; and the Militarization Tendency - with a final section on The Post-Peak World.

Light refreshments will be served from 7:00pm.

For further information and to book your place please contact Rachel Moss on 0845 196 4723.

Altogether now panel debate series: Dealing with the deficit and facing austerity

Thursday 31 May 2012, 7:30pm, Chelmsford campus

As part of the 'Altogether now festival', we are proud to host a series of panel debates.

'Dealing with the deficit and facing austerity'

The 2008 crash exposed a debt crisis in the UK of great proportions, but the best way to respond to a problem of such scale remains a vexed question. We will explore, discuss, and often vehemently disagree about the efficacy, intentions and underlying logic of the possible approaches to managing the deficit and the future for the state and public spending after the austerity is over.

Members of the panel include:

• Chris Fegan - Labour councillor
• Stephen Robinson - Lib Dem councillor
• Robert Pontin - Conservative ex-councillor
• Tony Sullivan - Chelmsford Against the Cuts

Light refreshments will be served from 7:00pm.

For further information and to book your place please contact Rachel Moss on 0845 196 4723.

Altogether now panel debate series: Religion as a force in Society: for Good or Ill?

Friday 1 June 2012, 7:00pm, Chelmsford campus

As part of the 'Altogether now festival' we are proud to host a series of panel debates.

Religion as a force in Society: for Good or ill?

What role should religion play in a modern society? Does it underlie the values we all share? How far should religious institutions be entwined the with machinery of the state? We will explore both the good works and moral guidance that faith can bring to a modern, secular society but also the division, intolerance and conflict that it can cause.

Members of the panel include:

• Blaise Egan - Essex Humanists
• Ray White - Essex Humanists
• Reverend Robert Wiggs - The Bishop's advisor on Asylum and Refugees

Light refreshments will be served from 7:00pm.

For further information and to book your place please contact Rachel Moss on 0845 196 4723.

Gender neutral parenting

Thursday 14 June 2012, 7:30pm, Chelmsford campus

Dr Chrissie Rogers will facilitate a talk by Dr Tam Sanger and Jay Stewart co-founder of Gendered Intelligence on Gender neutral parenting.

This talk will stimulate a debate about children and gender and will examine questions such as: Is a stable gender identity central to children's development of a sense of self or can the reinforcement of gender stereotypes be damaging? Is gender neutral parenting experimenting with children's lives or allowing them more freedom to be who they want to be? They will also examine the practice of gender neutral parenting, a hotly debated and for some a highly contentious topic.

Dr Tam Sanger works in the Childhood and Youth Research Institute at Anglia Ruskin University and is researching trans people's identities. Her publications include Trans People's Partnerships: Towards an Ethics of Intimacy. Jay Stewart runs the organisation Gendered Intelligence, which was set up to advance knowledge about gender and how it impacts on people's lives. They offer support to trans youth and workshops and training on gender issues.

Light refreshments will be provided and there will be plenty of time for discussion both during and after the lecture.

For further information and to book your place please contact Rachel Moss on 0845 196 4723.

Refugee Week, 18-24 June 2012

As part of Refugee Week we present a series of free-of-charge events in partnership with Cambridge City Council

Monday 18 June, 6.30pm, refreshments from 6pm, Cambridge campus

Afghan dance performance

An Afghan dance performance by Ziba Tabrizi. Ziba is a dedicated Persian dance specialist based in Cambridge. She is one of very few performers of authentic Persian, Tajik, Azeri and Afghan dance in the UK, and aims to increase public awareness of these relatively rare art forms which are graceful, diverse and exciting.


Thursday 21 June, 6.30pm, refreshments from 6pm, Cambridge campus

Pushing the Elephant - Film screening

Pushing The Elephant chronicles the story of Rose Mapendo and how she escaped from the ethnic violence of the Democratic Republic of Congo to become a vital voice to help mend her divided country. She has assisted dozens of survivors to recover and rebuild their lives. But there is still one person Rose must teach to forgive - her daughter Nangabire. Director and Producer: Beth Davenport and Elizabeth Mandel.

For more information or to book on these events email: Miriam Berg or tel: 0845 196 5060.

2012 Essex Countryside Bike Ride

Sunday 24 June 2012, Chelmsford campus

Get on your bike for a great family cycling event in aid of Little Havens Children's Hospice - the annual sponsored Essex Countryside Bike Ride. There is something to suit all abilities and ages with three distances to choose from.

• The 10 mile route starts at 11am and is great for beginners and families
• The 25 mile route is aimed at cyclists wanting to push themselves a bit further
• The 60 mile route is aimed at those a bit more experienced or people looking for a challenge

The 25 and 60 mile routes start between 8am-10am and take you along quiet country lanes, passing through picturesque county villages.
The 10 mile route will be family-friendly, so it's safe and suitable for all existing and aspiring cyclists. Cyclists under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and wear a helmet. All routes start and finish at Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford.

There will be refreshments, family entertainment throughout the day, music, medals for all participants, as well as top fundraising prizes. There is also free parking on site.

For more information and to book your place please contact Laura Hyde on 01702 220 308