Elements of #EdSciFest

Sadly, this year’s edition of the annual Edinburgh Science Festival, scheduled for 4–19 April, was cancelled due to the outbreak of Covid-19. Although the event won’t go ahead as planned, the team behind it aren’t letting the pandemic stop them and are putting together an exciting digital version of the Festival to run across the original dates and beyond.

Called Elements of #EdSciFest, the online Festival will draw on the ‘Elemental’ theme of the original programme that was planned for the April event.

A series of online live Q & A’s with Festival speakers, curated articles, fascinating content and downloadable science activities for kids and adults will explore the challenges and opportunities facing us as individuals, societies and a planet through the lens of earth, air, fire, water and aether.

Edinburgh Science has a wealth of experience in creating fun, engaging Science experiments that can be done with equipment you might find around the house. This is set to be a fantastic resource for families confined to their homes with many parents trying their hand at home-schooling at the moment.

Instead of the Dinosaur Weekend that was planned for children at the Pleasance, the Festival has designed a series of dinosaur crafts that kids can download and make at home. Plus, two events that were planned for the Festival’s flagship family venue, the City Art Centre, will now take place in digital form as part of an Edinburgh Science takeover of the popular Earth Live Lessons YouTube series. On 10 and 11

April, viewers can livestream talks focused on our amazing oceans and Scottish wildlife.

The Festival’s outdoor photography exhibition, Into the Blue, is now being brought indoors and on to our screens for everyone to enjoy from home. Every day the Festival is uploading a new picture from the exhibition on to their Instagram, taking users on a fascinating journey around some of Scotland's most remarkable coastlines with stunning photography from local artists.

The full digital programme will be announced soon on the EdSciFest website and you can keep up to date with what the Festival has in store on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

Facebook: @ EdinburghScienceFestival

Twitter: @EdSciFest

Instagram: @edscifest #EdSciFest sciencefestival.co.uk

Earth Live Lessons on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=eJHyX13nNw4