October will see the return of the Swansea Science Festival, with a host of special guests including Professor Brian Cox, Steve Backshall, Konnie Huq, Iolo Williams and Lyn Evans.
Hosted by Swansea University in partnership with the National Waterfront Museum, this year’s free Festival will run from 21-31 October and the diverse programme of events will be delivered online for the first time, allowing people to gain access to the Festival, wherever they are in the world.
Featuring more than 30 live and pre-recorded events, adults and children alike with be able to enjoy activities which will explore the furthest reaches of our planet, the future of the universe, time travel, dreams, machines, and some of the world’s deadliest animals. There will also be a virtual tour of Swansea’s Plantasia, offering a close-up look at the weird and wonderful inhabitants of the tropical zoo.
The Festival will open on 21 October with tales from BAFTA-winning English naturalist, explorer, writer, and television presenter Steve Backshall who has been leading expeditions to unknown parts of the world for nearly 20 years.
On 24 October, children’s author and comedian David Baddiel will be in conversation with astrophysicist Edward Gomez on the subject of time travel. The following day, Professor Brian Cox, an expert at explaining some of the most difficult concepts of physics and astronomy, will be in conversation with Swansea University alumnus, Professor Lyn Evans, the man in charge of building the world’s biggest machine – CERN’s Large Hadron Collider – which studies the smallest particles in nature.
Konnie Huq, Blue Peter’s longest-serving presenter will be hosting storytelling, drawing, and water experiments, and CBeebies’ Grace Webb will be exploring the engineering, features, parts and workings of some of her favourite machines, direct from her garage at home.
Science presenter Jon Chase will host a live workshop showing people how to conduct science experiments at home using just household objects, and there will also be Welsh-medium session by the popular nature observer and television presenter Iolo Williams.
Professor Martin Stringer, pro-vice-chancellor at Swansea University, said:“Since its first year as part of the British Science Festival held at Swansea University in 2016, the Swansea Science Festival has been a key event for the city, one that succeeds in bringing the whole community together through a shared love of science.
“We are very proud to play a leading role in the Festival and we recognise the importance of events such as this at a time when we need more than ever to feel a sense of community. Although the Festival is virtual this year, we believe it will lose none of its appeal. In fact, we’re hoping going online gives people more flexibility to enjoy the events on offer, broadens the Festival’s appeal and reaches a wider audience than ever before.”
