SCIENCE IN THE CITY

So much to explore for Malta’s little researchers

The date of this year’s Science in the City – Friday, 28 September, from 6pm onwards in Valletta – is fast approaching and we are hearing so much about science, the arts and creativity. But why do our children need to be exposed to the marriage of science and the arts?

At the festival, children of all ages will be able to enjoy a number of activities that spark the imagination and foster creative thinking. Kids Dig Science at Spazju Kreattiv, a combination of interactive theatre and hands-on science experiments and games, allows kids to tap into their desire to explore and discover. It teaches them to problem solve in the most creative of ways.

Orkidea, an NGO Greenhouse Malta interactive shadow puppet and theatre show at City Lights, will give young children the opportunity to explore Malta’s garrigue and understand the plight of our orchids. They will be able to come up with solutions on how to work to protect them.

Esplora will be running another shadow puppet show, where kids between the ages of five and 12 will embark on a storytelling journey, travelling back along Malta’s historical timeline. Shadows of Malta’s Times at La Valette Band Club highlights the links between science and culture and the influences these had on each other. This first show starts at 6.45pm.

And, of course, a Science in the City favourite among children of all ages is STEAM², where student organisations from the University of Malta will literally inundate St George’s Square with experiments, games, quizzes and interactive art installations.

The Science Fair at City Gate will host an amazing 15 organisations with an incredible line-up of activities, interactive exhibitions, earthquakes, creepy crawlies, underwater rovers, a self-driving wheelchair, cars and so much more. This area caters for the young and young at heart. Here, the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology will perform demos and experiments, as well as display their state-of-the-art science tools and applications. The University of Malta’s Junior College will for the first time join the festival in a spectacular way, their live orchestra will make water dance!

Send your kids in orbit for this out-of-world experience. The Italian Cultural Institute will host some very interesting events. The Malta Photographic Society will be explaining how to use light to create masterpieces, children will be able to star gaze, while learning about exoplanets and identifying space debris to protect satellites. Researchers from the Institute of Space Science and the organisation Kids in Orbit will show how the telescopes work and visitors will be able to see outer space objects like the planets Jupiter as well as star clusters and nebulae.

These are merely the highlights but by no means the only activities for children on the night. For the programme of events follow Science in the City at www.scienceinthecity or on FB at Science in the City Malta.

The Science in the City—European Researchers’ Night festival is funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of the Horizon 2020 Program (H2020, 2014–2020) of the EU. The consortium is led by the University of Malta, Malta Chamber of Scientists and the University’s Research Trust (RIDT), in partnership with Valletta 2018, Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation, MCAST, Esplora, JUGS Ltd, Studio 7, BPC International, GSD Marketing Ltd, Aquabiotech Ltd, MEUSAC, PBS, Spazju Kreattiv, Pjazza Teatru Rjal, Valletta Local Council, Notte Bianca, Melita, More or Less Theatre, Transport Malta and Arts Council Malta.