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Questival

Questival

Questival 2011 - with Matt Parker, Julian Baggini and a special recording of The Pod Delusion!

5th-7th August 2011, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire

Questival 2011 is now sold out.

Questival is the annual weekend of camping and freethinking, run by the AHS. It's a physically and mentally active weekend, designed for adults with a rational worldview. Our aim is to entertain, educate and exhaust you in equal measure.

We aim to do this via puzzles, comedy, philosophy, walks, skepticism, maths, puns (it's intense!), debate and games - and all while meeting people with similar worldviews from across the UK and Ireland. Questival is aimed at adults (both students and non-students) and whether you've a passing interest in rationality, or are an active leader of an AHS society, it's going to rock.

When is it? Where is it?

This year's Questival is taking place on the 5-7th August, at Croft Farm Water Park, near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. Croft Farm is located in the scenic River Avon Valley and features its very own lake. Croft Farm has modern toilet and shower facilities and a lakeside bar.

Events

We have stand-up mathematician Matt Parker performing on the Saturday night, as well as a special recording of The Pod Delusion. We're also very pleased to be hosting two in-depth workshops: first up is an in-depth workshop on media spin and fallacies with renowned philosopher Julian Baggini. Then the team from The Pod Delusion will give a primer on the current state of skeptical reporting - including the chance to write and perform your own report in the evening’s show! And on Sunday there's the chance to learn the ins and outs of secular activism, with BHA Faith Schools Campaigner Richy Thompson and 10:23 veteran Michael Marshall.

There’s also the spectacular and dastardly Questival Treasure Hunt - decode the clues and solve the puzzles in a giant quest set in and around Tewkesbury town centre.

That, and plenty of surprises.

Full Programme

Saturday morning: The Great Questival Treasure Hunt!
Saturday afternoon: workshops including:
- Spins and Fallacies in the Media, with Julian Baggini. Learn about the tricks used to bamboozle us all, and how you can actively defend against them.
- Representing Rationality, with The Pod Delusion. A primer on the current state of skeptical reporting, as tips, tricks, and a chance to write and produce your own report for a special recording later in the day.
Saturday evening:
- A special recording of The Pod Delusion, featuring your reports from earlier in the day.
- Matt Parker – stand-up mathematician
Sunday:
- Workshop: Campaigning, with Richy Thompson - the British Humanist Association's Faith Schools and Education Campaigns Officer explores how the BHA campaigns, including on faith schools, and how you can campaign at a grassroots level.
- Optional: sports! The campsite offers various sports, including canoeing, archery, and windsurfing. These activities would cost extra, and are subject to numbers and availability. We'll send full details to all ticket-holders before the weekend.
- Idol Idol - design a deity, and build an appropriate graven image.
- And, finally, the fantastic sciencey music of singer-songwriter Jonny Berliner!

Speakers

Matt Parker

We're very happy to welcome stand-up mathematician Matt Parker. Matt is a regular at skeptical events, and regularly writes about the wonders of maths for the Guardian, famously revealing the potential influence of aliens on the location of Woolworths stores, all while cracking maths-based jokes. He's also nice as pi. Here's his bio:

Possibly the only person to hold the prestigious title of London Mathematical Society Popular Lecturer while simultaneously having a sold-out comedy show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Matt is always keen to mix his two passions of mathematics and stand-up. Matt Parker appears regularly on BBC Radio4′s Infinite Monkey Cage and writes about maths for The Guardian. He's had his debunking work featured on Stephen Fry's QI but is yet to be invited as a guest. Matt's favourite number is currently 3435.

Julian Baggini

We're also very happy to be welcoming philosopher Julian Baggini, who will be jointly leading a workshop on media spin and fallacies. Julian is one of the leading voices of atheist / humanist thought in the UK, and a regular contributor to The Guardian, as well as Radio 4 discussion programmes. He is the author of many popular books on philosophy - including The Pig That Wants to be Eaten: And Ninety-Nine Other Thought Experiments, What's it All About?: Philosophy and the Meaning of Life, and Atheism: A Very Short Introduction. His latest book is The Ego Trick, in which he argues that "I" is something we do, not something we are.

The Pod Delusion

The Pod Delusion is a weekly news magazine podcast about interesting things. From politics, to science to culture and philosophy, it's commentary from a secular, rationalist, skeptical, somewhat lefty-liberal, sort of perspective. A bit like From Our Own Correspondent but with more jokes.

The Pod Delusion will be recording a special episode on Saturday evening, as well as running a workshop on the current state of skeptical reporting in the media. All attendees will have the chance to write and hone a report to perform at the evening's show!