The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Dundee Science Festival
Various venues across Dundee, October 28-November 12
From fireworks to food and forensics to fun, Dundee Science Festival kicks off tomorrow with a fortnight-long programme to excite and inspire.
Now in its eighth year, the city’s celebration of science has more than 30 events in store, the majority taking place in community centres and hubs as well as Dundee Science Centre.
Festivals and community engagement officer Paul Strachan says: “For us, the focus is always going to be around local people and local communities and bringing everyone together to enjoy science in a way that is accessible.”
All community events are free – with the exception of Street Food on November 2 for over-18s – while visitors attending events at Dundee Science Centre will get a 50% discount on their entry fee for the duration of the festival.
There are three family fun days taking place over the festival’s weekends. The first – Horrible History of Medicine – will reveal the gruesome history of medicine and how techniques have thankfully evolved for use in the modern world.
On Saturday November 4 you can retrace the steps of the lead character in Jonathan Swift’s classic book, Gulliver’s Travels, by journeying through different worlds and seeing the environment from new perspectives.
Paul says: “We are going to create an immersive experience for people coming into the centre and they will walk their way round different stages of the book. In the first section, Gulliver is knocked off course by a storm and he ends up on a beach with tiny people called Lilliputians, so we will be looking at how storms work. The next stage will be about the world of the very small – whether that’s microbiology or particle physics.”
On Saturday November 11, the final fun day will team up with NEoN Digital Arts Festival to bring a fascinating daylong event focusing on the use of technology to reflect on years gone by.
There will also be free science storytime sessions for children aged three to five, throughout the festival at four different community venues.
Paul says: “These will take the children through an interactive story around a particular subject – with a little bit of science thrown in at an appropriate level – and then we will have some activities.”
While there is a big emphasis on family fun, there’s also plenty for adults: learn about the early years development of children, how to upcycle jewellery or gain expert advice on topics such as the Dundee Science Centre’s redevelopment of the first floor, the science of food and the process of ageing and how it affects the mind and body.
Paul adds: “There really is something for everyone, from inquisitive tiny tots and techy teenagers to adults looking to explore a particular subject.”