The 2023 public lecture series held at Norwich School kicked off in style on 19 January 2023, when we were delighted to welcome back on site the East of England branch of the illustrious Royal Geographical Society (RGS) who use the Blake Studio as their lecture hub.
An eclectic audience of pupils, staff, parents, alumni, RGS Members and Fellows enjoyed a fascinating and very entertaining lecture given by Philip Beale, Fellow of the RGS, sailor, adventurer, author and historian.
His talk focussed on the ambitious construction of an authentic 50-ton boat The Phoenicia, sourced from local materials and employing traditional craftsmanship. Once sea-worthy, Philip and his intrepid team then sought to replicate the voyage of discovery that the hugely advanced Phoenician civilisation might have made to America over 1,000 years before Columbus’ famous exhibitions, not least to prove the world was indeed round. The venture from the Phoenicians’ home in the Levant, via North and West Africa and finally to the Caribbean was successful, arriving safely in port in America just before the onset of Covid in 2020. The assertion made in his lecture was that the sturdy construction of a maritime vessel like The Phoenicia and the judicious use of trade winds and the Gulf stream meant that such a journey of global exploration was eminently viable and seems likely to have occurred.
Philip was extremely generous with his time for a Q&A from our lively audience afterwards, as well as engaging with guests over book signing and refreshments.
The next public lecture on site is to be held on Wednesday 25 January where we host the Norfolk Contemporary Arts Society for an audience with Dr Jago Cooper, the newly appointed Director of the renowned Sainsbury Centre at the UEA. See: Talk by Jago Cooper, Director of Sainsbury Centre of Visual Arts — ncas
Finally. We are also very much looking forward to the RGS being with us again on Tuesday 21 February to hear about threatened/extinct species and the drivers of biodiversity loss. See: Royal Geographical Society - Extinction: Our fragile relationship with life on Earth - Marc Schlossmann
For any queries or to be placed on our lecture mailing list, please contact Development Director, Jonathan Pearson (jpeason@norwich-school.org.uk).