STV Productions is seeking home owners to uncover treasures

Do you have a house to clear out?

And would you like to be part of an exciting new TV show? 

STV Productions is seeking home owners in Edinburgh to uncover treasures

STV Productions is searching for people who are clearing out their homes in and around the Edinburgh area to take part in an exciting new television series, which is being made for Discovery-owned channel, Really, and STV.

The producers of this heart warming show would love to chat to people who are downsizing, emigrating or have inherited a property – or indeed need to clear their house for any other reason.

Fronted by Angus Ashworth, the expert auctioneer will help bring to life the human story of these house clearances at what is often an emotional time. Every clearance can uncover treasures, such as Persian rugs gathering dust in the garage, war medals and wedding crystal forgotten in the loft, even fossils and rare collectables.

Those taking part will then be put in touch with Ryedale Auctioneers where they can decide if they want to go ahead with auction – and they might make a bit of cash along the way!

Every episode will tell stories and celebrate those hidden gems in what is guaranteed to be a surprising and uplifting journey of discovery.

Presenter and Yorkshire auctioneer Angus Ashworth, said: “I’m so delighted to be part of this new series.  Clearing houses is something of a passion but equally I can’t wait to meet new people and hear their stories as we explore the contents of the houses, hopefully unearthing some hidden gems.

“It’s amazing what treasures can be found in amongst the clutter or hiding in an attic.  If they’re there, we’ll find them.

“It’s a privilege to be invited into people’s homes and I’m sure there are lots of people out there who need help with a clearance – so please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you and have a chat.”

If you’d like to take part in this new series get in touch with takepart@clearout.tv or call 0141 300 3214 for an initial chat.

Newhaven’s newest brasserie offers exclusive discount for locals

AN EXCLUSIVE offer is set to put a Newhaven restaurant on the map as it welcomes in the neighbouring community after a successful launch.

Locals are in for a treat as Pier Brasserie will be giving 10% off the total bill to anyone who can prove that they are a resident in the EH5 and EH6 postcode area until 31 March.

Pier Brasserie’s visionary Mark Patonyi, one of the city’s most esteemed restaurant managers, overseen a £100,000+ transformation at the iconic site overlooking Newhaven Pier – a location fast becoming one of Edinburgh’s foodie destinations.

The promotion comes after a popular launch in February which saw VIP guests, influencers and journalists enjoy canapés, cocktails and live cooking demonstrations from Executive Chef Vladimir Garcik, formerly of Edinburgh’s Steak restaurant.

36-year-old owner, Mark Patonyi said: “It’s been a busy few weeks at Pier Brasserie since opening, although I have had very little sleep, I have loved every second of the process and it’s amazing to have finally opened our doors to guests, after what has been a long transformational project.

“To kick-start our opening we’re offering 10% off the bill to locals with the EH5 and EH6 postcode as our way of giving something back to the local community who have been so welcoming in our first few weeks.

“We hope our bar and grill can soon become a local gem in the community, for families, date-night drinks, and lovers of fine beers. We want to provide a welcoming spot for all, from vegans and vegetarians, to seafood lovers and steak aficionados.

“We are really lucky to have this striking location which makes for a really serene setting – we have already had our first proposal after only being open for two days which was a roaring success, and of course she said yes!

“Hopefully this discount will encourage more people down to this beautiful part of the city”.

Mark is inspired by the famous Newhaven fishwives that thronged the Pier Place building, which dates back to 1896. Famed for their sharp-tongues and quick wits, they established a strong, vibrant community.

He added: “We’re proud to use the finest Scottish ingredients which have been farmed, caught, raised or bred in Scotland and we’re passionate about supporting businesses in our local area.”

The new spot will fit in excess of 70 covers and has a separate bar area with the design focused around natural tones and exposed materials, creating a warm shelter from which to admire the expansive Forth.

A private dining area will also enable Pier Brasserie to take larger bookings for special occasions and corporate dinners.

For more information about Pier Brasserie or to book online visit: https://www.pierbrasserie.com/ or follow us on Facebook @pierbrasserie and Instagram @pierbrasserie

Home Office imposes sanctions on Edinburgh lab

The Home Office has formally inspected Charles River Laboratories and sanctioned it for violating animal welfare regulations. The action follows a complaint filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

PETA uncovered shocking allegations regarding the extreme suffering and death of rats at the company’s Elphinstone location, near Edinburgh, after being approached by a whistle-blower who worked there.

Because of the severity of the incidents reported, PETA is urging the Home Office to revoke Charles Rivers Laboratories’ licence to experiment on animals.

According to the whistle-blower, the company reportedly crushed approximately 100 to 120 live rats – including pregnant females – in a rubbish compressor and administered the wrong dose of a compound to rats who were used in a cancer experiment.

It allegedly forced other rats to inhale a highly toxic compound in doses that exceeded the agreed maximum – and consequently, one distressed female chewed off an entire toe. More information about the reported welfare violations can be found here.

“Charles River Laboratories apparently can’t be trusted to follow the minimal laws that protect animals in laboratories, and the punishment should fit the crime,” says PETA Science Policy Adviser Dr Julia Baines.

“PETA is calling for the Home Office to revoke the company’s licence to inflict pain, misery, and death on animals immediately and for money to be invested in a new wave of science – one that’s effective, human-relevant, and animal-free.”

The Home Office confirmed that inspections have taken place and that ‘appropriate sanctions’ have been applied.

Charles River Laboratories responded: “The survival rates for major diseases are at an all-time high due in part to the discovery of new medicines and therapies. The use of animal research models remains a vital component of these discoveries and is required by international regulatory agencies.

“We are deeply committed to animal welfare and exceeding international standards for the care of research models under our stewardship. We are committed to the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) and, when possible, our goal is to reduce the number of animals used.”

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on” – notes that across the UK, millions of animals are locked inside barren laboratory cages, poisoned, burned, cut open, traumatised, and infected with diseases while they suffer from extreme frustration and loneliness.

Few experiments – no matter how painful or irrelevant – are prohibited by law, and almost all animals used in tests are later killed.

PETA supports the use of scientifically and ethically sound methods that better protect humans, animals, and the environment. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.

Sharp rise in DVLA scams

DVLA has revealed a 20% rise in scams reported to their contact centre, with 1,538 reports about suspected vehicle tax scams during the last 3 months of 2019.

DVLA has released pictures of some of the cons being used by scammers to trick motorists into handing over their money.

It comes as new figures show a 20% increase in scams reported to DVLA, with 1,538 reports made to agency in the last three months of 2019.

The reports of suspected web, email, text or social media scams were up from 1,275 in the same period in 2018. DVLA has released the images of recent scams reported to help motorists be aware of what to look out for and issue a clear warning that if something offered online or by text message appears too good to be true, then it almost certainly is.

Scammers are targeting unsuspecting customers with links to services that don’t exist and messages of tax refunds, all of which are fake.

The reports also show that driver and vehicle documents are for sale on the internet. DVLA is advising anyone with concerns about any calls, texts, emails or suspicious activity online, to always report these to the police via Action Fraud immediately.

DVLA chief information security officer David Pope said: “We’ve released examples of real life scams to help motorists understand when a scam is at work. These websites and messages are designed to trick people into believing they can access services that simply don’t exist such as removing penalty points from driving licences.

“All our tax refunds are generated automatically after a motorist has told us they have sold, scrapped or transferred their vehicle to someone else so we don’t ask for anyone to get in touch with us to claim their refund.

“We want to protect the public and if something seems too good to be true, then it almost certainly is. The only trusted source of DVLA information is GOV.UK

“It is also important to remember never to share images on social media that contain personal information, such as your driving licence and vehicle documents.”

A spokesperson for Action Fraud said: “This can be a stressful time of year, sorting out finances for the year ahead. Fraudsters are aware of this and are using different ways to trick people.

“Taking a couple of minutes to familiarise yourself with a few simple online safety tips can be significant in protecting yourself from becoming a victim of online fraud.

“You should always be cautious when sharing personal information online and avoid being scammed by only using GOV.UK for government services online, such as the DVLA.

“If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please report it to us.”

Heading Out!

The Scottish FA has published updated heading guidelines for all age groups from six to 17 years old.

The guidance will be introduced with immediate effect and will provide clubs, coaches, players and parents with clarity on the governing body’s recommended coaching approach to heading in training sessions and in matches.

The Scottish FA recommends no heading practice in children’s football, defined as primary school age, and a graduated approach in youth football, defined as secondary school age.

It comes in light of the study led by the University of Glasgow, published in October  last year, which reveals the first major insights into lifelong health outcomes in former professional footballers.

Although there was no evidence in the study to suggest that heading the ball was the cause to the link with incidence of degenerative neurocognitive disease, the updated heading guidelines have been produced in consultation with UEFA and The English FA to mitigate against any potential future risks being established.

The recommendations will incorporate all children’s and youth football in Scotland and include the following recommendations:

  • Heading should not be introduced in training sessions from the age of six through to 11.
  • Heading should be considered a low coaching priority between the ages of 12 to 15 years however training sessions can be introduced. These should be limited to one session of no more than five headers per week at 13 years, increasing to 10 headers per session at 14 and 15.
  • It is acknowledged that heading will begin to form part of the game at 12 and should be permitted, however, coaches are encouraged to promote a style of play that limits long passing.
  • Heading burden will remain restricted to one training session per week for 16 and 17 year olds and coaches should be mindful of limiting repetitions during that session.

The updated guidelines have been overseen by the Scottish FA Medical Consultant, Dr John MacLean, who co-authored the FIELD study report, in consultation with Andrew Gould, the Scottish FA’s Head of Football Development. It has also been approved by the Scottish FA Board and endorsed by the Non-Professional Game Board.

Ian Maxwell, Scottish FA Chief Executive, said: “While it is important to re-emphasise there is no research to suggest that heading in younger age groups was a contributory factor in the findings of the FIELD study into professional footballers, nevertheless Scottish football has a duty of care to young people, their parents and those responsible for their wellbeing throughout youth football.

“The updated guidelines are designed to help coaches remove repetitive and unnecessary heading from youth football in the earliest years, with a phased introduction at an age group considered most appropriate by our medical experts.

“It is important to reassure that heading is rare in youth football matches but we are clear that the guidelines should mitigate any potential risks. We will also look to monitor and review the guidance as part of our commitment to making the national game a safe and enjoyable environment for young people.

“I would like to thank our colleagues at the English FA for their collaboration in this process and UEFA’s Medical Committee for their guidance.”

Dr John MacLean added: “I am proud that the Scottish FA has taken a positive, proactive and proportionate approach to the findings of the FIELD study. Scottish football has taken a lead on the subject of head injury and trauma in sport, from becoming the first country in the world to produce cross-sport concussion guidelines – If In Doubt, Sit Them Out – to having one of the most advanced medical education programmes in sport.

“Since the publication of the report we have consulted with colleagues on the football and medical sides at The English FA and UEFA and I believe the guidance will help provide reassurance for young players and their parents nationwide.”

Scottish FA Heading Guidelines

Scottish FA Heading Guidelines FAQs

Travelling Gallery launches Spring Tour – Shapes of Water

An exhibition of contemporary art responding to the themes evoked by Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters

Travelling Gallery has announced its Spring 2020 exhibition, Shapes of Water, which tours from 12 March to 19 June across Scotland.

Travelling Gallery, a key event supported by Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters, has invited three thought-provoking and exciting young artists to produce new work reflecting their individual perspectives to our relationship with coasts and waters.

The bus – which drives contemporary art to all corners of the country – will feature an exhibition of drawings, riso prints, audio and film work from the three artists when it takes to the road next month.

Its Spring 2020 tour will begin in Edinburgh on 12 March before visiting venues and a range of coastal communities the length and breadth of Scotland until June, including the Borders Art Fair, the Orkney Isles and Aberdeenshire.

Suzie Eggins works across drawing, printmaking and sculpture and uses her imagination as a microscope to examine the cells and structures of our natural environment to create beautiful geometric drawings and installations. For Shapes of Water, Eggins turns her attention to Scotland’s water and explores the idea that our thoughts and emotions can affect our environment.

Amy Gear is a mixed media artist based in Shetland and characteristically uses her Shetland dialect to outline her artistic practice, using local words to describe the coast and landscape. Her drawings and paintings go beyond the traditional ideals of a beautiful landscape and instead explore the connections between body and land.

For Shapes of Water, Amy departs from a piece of writing inspired by her Shetland Grandparents describing the comfort in witnessing steely storms and angry waves; knowing that the unrest will benefit the buoyant sea life. The resulting artwork is a playful and cherished tribute to family and the sea.

Rhona Mühlebach is a Swiss filmmaker based in Glasgow and her films capture the atmospheric Scottish landscape placing intriguing narratives into the natural environment. For Shapes of Water, Mühlebach is making a stylish crime thriller set in Galloway Forest Park and investigating Sudden Oak Death which can be transmitted by rainwater and carried via rivers and streams.

Claire Craig, Curator at the Travelling Gallery, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to commission new work by three exciting young artists, all based in Scotland.

“We can’t wait to go on tour and discuss their artwork with audiences across Scotland as part of the Year of Coasts and Waters.”

Convener of Culture and Communities at the City of Edinburgh Council, Councillor Donald Wilson, added: “Once again, the Travelling Gallery has devised a fascinating and varied exhibition which I’m sure will appeal across the country.

“As a Council we are committed to making art and culture as accessible as possible to as many people as possible. This is the ethos of the gallery itself and through supporting this mobile gallery, art is brought straight into the hearts of town centres. I hope everyone takes the opportunity to pay the spring exhibition a visit.”

Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “The Travelling Gallery works to make art more accessible by taking it directly into the heart of communities across Scotland.

“I’m pleased to see this special commission of three artists coming together to produce an exhibition celebrating Scotland’s natural beauty, and I hope it inspires both locals and visitors to join in with the Year of Coasts and Waters 2020.”

Tour dates

Exhibition Launch – Thursday 12th March – Edinburgh

Friday 13th – Saturday 14th March – Borders Art Fair

Tuesday 17th March – Friday 20th March – Scottish Borders with Historic Environment Scotland

Saturday 21st March – Lochwinnoch Festival

Thursday 26th March – Stirling University

Tuesday 31st March – Saturday 4th April – North Lanarkshire

Tuesday 14th April – Thursday 16th April – East Renfrewshire

Tuesday 21st March – Saturday 25th March – Orkney

Wednesday 6th May – Saturday 9th May – Aberdeenshire

Tuesday 12th May – Friday 15th May – Renfrewshire

Saturday 23rd May – Sanquhar

Tuesday 26th May – Friday 29th May – North Ayrshire

Tuesday 16th June – Friday 19th June – South Ayrshire

Year of Coasts and Waters

Scotland’s Coasts and Waters will be showcased throughout 2020 and celebrated with a programme of activity designed to support the nation’s tourism and events sectors.  The year, led by VisitScotland will sustain and build upon the momentum of Scotland’s preceding Themed Years to spotlight, celebrate and promote opportunities to experience and enjoy Scotland’s unrivalled Coasts and Waters, encouraging responsible engagement and participation from the people of Scotland and our visitors.

A year-long programme of events, activities and ideas will shine a spotlight on the impact our waters have had on Scotland, from the formation of beautiful natural features to the creation of our national drink – whisky.

Join the conversation using #YCW2020

Travelling Gallery

Travelling Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in a bus, it is a national service with the exceptional ability to reach communities and people across Scotland. We recognise that art can change lives and we create fair conditions and remove barriers to allow access and engagement to audiences in their own familiar surroundings. The gallery space offers an open and welcoming environment for people of all ages, gender, ethnicity, background, and abilities to discover and enjoy contemporary art.

“If art is for everyone then surely Travelling Gallery is the best example of that.”
Andrew Menzies, driver/guide

Travelling Gallery is a much loved and respected visual arts organisation. 2018 marked its 40th anniversary and we take pride in the fact that Scotland is committed to taking art into its communities. Over the past forty years Travelling Gallery has brought innovative exhibitions to every local authority across Scotland reaching hundreds of thousands of visitors and school pupils. Travelling Gallery is a ‘not for profit’ organisation, regularly funded by Creative Scotland and supported by the City of Edinburgh Council.

To find out more please visit www.travellinggallery.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @travgallery ‏or Instagram @travellinggallery

Artist Biographies

Suzie Eggins lives and works in Edinburgh. She graduated from Moray School of Art in 2018. Recent exhibitions include SSA & VAS Open, Royal Scottish Academy; rock-paper-scissors, Circus Artspace, Inverness; Solo Show at Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh; RSA New Contemporaries, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh (all 2019); Print Exchange, Highland Print Studio, Inverness; Many Ways to Be an Ecologist, solo show at Moray Art Centre, Findhorn (all 2018). Residencies include Graduate Residency, Hospitalfield, Arbroath and Artist in Residence, Moray Art Centre (both 2018).

Amy Gear lives and works in Shetland. She graduated with an MA in Printmaking from the Royal College of Art in 2015. Recent solo exhibitions include CLIFF FACE, Shetland Museum; Pebble Problems, Market Gallery (both 2018). Recent group exhibitions include Mooth o da Cave, Look Again Festival, Aberdeen (2018); Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh (2017); Postgraduate Printmaking, Clifford Chance, London (2016).

Rhona Mühlebach lives and works in Glasgow. Recent exhibitions and screenings include Intermedia Gallery, CCA, Glasgow; The River, the Horse & the Woman, Alchemy Film & Arts, Hawick; Werkschau Thurgau, Kunstraum Kreuzlingen, Switzerland (all 2019); Swiss Art Awards, Kiefer Hablitzel, Art Basel, Switzerland; Bloomberg New Contemporaries, BALTIC, Gateshead; Annuale, Embassy, Edinburgh (all 2017). In 2019 she was commissioned by LUX Scotland and BBC Scotland for BBC’s Now & Next.

Support for pub landlords

A Members Bill which aims to create a fairer environment for pub landlords is to be scrutinised by Holyrood’s Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee.

The Committee has today issued a call for views on the Tied Pubs Scotland Bill which seeks to strengthen the position of pub tenants through the creation of a Scottish Pubs Code. This proposed legislation would give landlords more of a say in their business while an independent adjudicator would oversee the application of the new code.

The Bill also seeks to improve choice for consumers, by making locally brewed products more accessible in tied pubs.

Committee Deputy Convener, Willie Coffey MSP said: “With around 750 tied pubs in Scotland, we want to know what impact this legislation would have on local businesses and the communities that they are at the heart of.

“We want to hear from pub landlords, tenants and brewers to understand if changes need to be made.”

A copy of the Bill, and its accompanying documents, are available on the Scottish Parliament’s website.

  • What are your views on the Bill overall? Do you think that legislation in this area is necessary?
  • Do you think the Bill achieves its aim of improving the relationship between pub-owning businesses and their tenants?
  • Could the Bill have any impact on investment in the pub sector in Scotland?
  • Should the Scottish Pubs Code apply to all pub owning businesses and tenants in Scotland?
  • Do you have any comments on the role of the Adjudicator?
  • The Policy Memorandum states that the Bill aims to adapt the 2015 Act to Scottish circumstances and to avoid problems experienced in implementing the Act in England and Wales. Do you think the Bill meets these aims?
  • The Bill proposes that tied tenants have the option to apply to their pub owning business for a quote for a „Market rent only‟ (MRO) contract. Do you agree with this proposal and how do you think it would work in practice?
  • The Bill proposes that tenants should have the right to stock at least one guest beer at any time, irrespective of the terms of their contract. What impact would this have?
  • The Bill proposes that the office of Pub Code Adjudicator will be funded through a levy on pub-owning companies in scope of the code. The Financial Memorandum estimates that annual costs for pub-owning businesses will be around £6,000 to £86,700 depending on size. The Committee would welcome any views of these estimates (and the assumptions around the volume of work for the office of the Pub Code Adjudicator) and the funding model.
  • Do you have any other comments on the Bill?

Over 65s – tell us your meningitis story!

LEADING meningitis charity Meningitis Now is after your stories about the disease – if you are over 65-years-old.

As part of a new campaign to better understand the effect of the illness on older people, the charity is keen to hear from anyone in this age group who had meningitis after they turned 65. They also want to hear from the children or even grandchildren of people in this age group if they can tell their stories for them.

It is all part of a new strategy to try and reach as many people in the country as possible who have had the devastating disease and offer ongoing support. While most people usually associate meningitis with babies and students, older adults are also very vulnerable.

According to Meningitis Now CEO Dr Tom Nutt, many people in this age group don’t realise they are at risk from the disease. 

“When you have a baby you are told about meningitis and what to look out for, all the signs and symptoms,” he said.

“And then you get the same message when your children leave home for university or college when again they are in an at-risk group.

“But the third group who are more vulnerable to meningitis often don’t even know they are at risk – and that’s older adults.

“We realise that people in this age group are already having to deal with an increasing risk of different illnesses so we are just one of many – which makes it hard to get the message out.

“But meningitis can hit so fast and be so devastating we really believe it is worth older people, as well as their relatives and carers, being aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease and seeking urgent medical advice if concerned.”

As well as wanting older people to be aware about how the disease might affect them, Dr Nutt said Meningitis Now was keen to understand how the charity could best support them.

“We are looking for ways to reach more people who are affected by the disease so that we can offer them our support,” he said.

“As well as talking to them about the after-effects of meningitis we have lots of ways we can help them including with funds for things like therapies and specialist equipment.

“So, if you or anyone you know is in this age group and have had meningitis please get in touch and tell us your story – we would love to hear from you and we would also love to offer you our support.”

To share your meningitis story with Meningitis Now and help improve the charity’s support to older people please visit the website here: https://www.meningitisnow.org/support-us/news-centre/share-your-story/

Case Study

Barbara O’Meara, 75, thought she had caught a cold when she first started to feel ill aged 71 but what happened next was the start of a very scary journey. Her daughter, Lucy O’Meara, from Grimsby, told her story to Meningitis Now:

“We had been away on holiday and my partner and I got engaged. I rang my mother to tell her the news, she sounded very croaky on the phone but said she just had the start of a cold. I told her to rest up, and we exchanged texts. Everything seemed okay.

“Two days later we arrived home and that evening my mother’s friend rang to tell me she had been admitted to intensive care with a suspected stroke. Hospital was 1.5 hours away from our home, so we drove off after receiving the news at about 10pm.

“When we got to intensive care at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, my mum was unresponsive apart from a few coughs and groans. We hadn’t been told it may be meningitis and I spent hours resting my head next to her on her pillow, hugging and talking to her.

“My brother arrived in the early hours from Bristol and the doctors then came to talk to us. They told us it was meningitis and the chances of her surviving were very low. That morning she was intubated and put into a coma. The next day there were no improvements, but she bit through her breathing tube so she had a tracheostomy fitted.

“Doctors tried to wake her but had no success – we were then told the likelihood was she would not survive and at best may be in a vegetative state for the rest of her life. A week and a half went by, and they managed to wake my mum. After two says she started to speak. The first thing she was look at my engagement ring and grin.

“Mum was moved on to a general ward where she suffered with hallucinations at night and was extremely distressed. She had to learn to walk again. Mum has been left completely deaf in one ear, but continues to live independently on her own. She works two days a week in a charity shop and is an inspiration to everyone who knows her.

“Mum has always led a healthy, active lifestyle and even now continues to walk her dog for miles every day. She never expected anything like this to ever happen to her”.

Elementary: Edinburgh Science Festival programme

Edinburgh Science Festival sparks debate on climate crisis with Elementary, an inspiring programme for 2020

  • World’s first and Europe’s biggest science festival has launched its 32nd programme, presenting 250 family and adult events at 34 venues between 4 and 19 April.
  • Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and the rise of the environment movement, the Edinburgh Science Festival’s 2020 theme is Elementary; using the ancient classifications of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Aether as lenses to explore global environmental challenges and opportunities.
  • As part of Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2020, the Festival presents Pale Blue Dot at the National Museum of Scotland, a multi-sensory exploration of the depths of the seas and oceans and of their transformative and life-giving nature. While Into the Blue on Portobello Promenade, is a large-scale outdoor photography exhibition showcasing Scottish coastlines, biodiversity and our relationship with our plentiful coasts and waters.
  • After a successful first year, the Pleasance returns as the Festival Hub, hosting an expanded Experimentarium science showcase and a special dinosaur-themed Easter weekend extravaganza, alongside a variety of science shows, hands-on events, debates, discussions and workshops for curious minds of all ages.
  • Edinburgh Science Festival is supported by a range of organisations, including Principal Funding Partners: The City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Government and Edina Trust.

www.sciencefestival.co.uk /@EdSciFest / www.facebook.com/EdinburghScienceFestival

World’s first and Europe’s biggest science festival, Edinburgh Science Festival returns for its 32nd edition from 4 until 19 April 2020, presenting hundreds of events, talks, workshops and exhibitions for both children and adults across dozens of venues in the Scottish capital.

This year’s theme, Elementary, uses the ancient classification of Earth, Air, Fire and Water as lenses to explore global environmental challenges and opportunities. Striking a balance between urgency and optimism it highlights the roles that creative thinking, science, technology, engineering and related disciplines play in helping to secure a successful and sustainable future.

From biodiversity, ecology and food security (Earth) and clean air (Air) to energy and climate policy (Fire) and marine biodiversity (Water), the Festival places its focus firmly on our environment.  As some of the ancients did, the Festival adds a fifth element, with a special focus on the digital world (Aether), exploring how to merge creative technology with live events to create new experiences for Festival audiences and on delivering more content online, taking science and culture to wider and more diverse audiences.

Some of this year’s Festival highlights include:

  • Pale Blue Dot at the National Museum of Scotland: an interactive exhibition aimed at audiences of all ages, it explores the essential and life-giving nature of our oceans, with a focus on their important biodiversity and their role as providers of energy, transport, food and opportunities for leisure and pleasure. This large-scale exhibition is part of Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 (YCW2020).
  • Into the Blue on Portobello Promenade: also part of YCW2020, this large-scale outdoor photography exhibition takes its audiences on a fascinating journey around Scottish coastlines, highlighting their biodiversity and potential, our relationships with our coasts and waters as well as the threats they face. Opens on 18 March.
  • Elemental at Summerhall: Bright Side Studios create a new digital immersive experience combining magic, alchemy and science. This art piece has been commissioned by Edinburgh Science and supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund.
  • Edinburgh Medal Address in Council Chambers: the prestigious Edinburgh Medal is awarded to Sunita Narain, the Indian environmentalist and political activist who, as a member of the Prime Minister’s Council for Climate Change between 2007 and 2014, played a major role in Indian and global environment and development policy formulation. Her Medal address and a linked event from the Scottish Parliament will explore climate justice, equity and the links between climate and development.
  • City Art Centre: The Festival’s flagship family venue is a unique 5-floor science playground filled with exciting hands-on science activities for young minds, including the all-time favourites Blood Bar and ER as well as two new activities including Ocean Constructors (part of YCW2020), where little explorers build an underwater landscape, and Creative Coding with Marty the Robot. The building will also house three digital artworks supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund.
  • Experimentarium at the Pleasance: a five-day celebration of hands-on science for all ages, where keen young minds will get a chance to dance with molecules, meet Scotland’s largest pests and prove that maths is anything but boring!
  • Gastrofest, various venues: the ever-so-popular gastro-science strand takes inspiration from the Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 as it tickles the taste buds with events on coastal cocktails, seaweeds and seasonings, whisky and cheese.
  • European Stone Stacking Championships, Dunbar: returning for the fourth year but its first time as part of the Science Festival, the Championship merge art and science, celebrating land art and taking materials found in nature and working with Earth’s gravity to create sculptural towers, archways and other awe-inspiring structures from rocks and stones.

Amanda Tyndall, Festival and Creative Director at Edinburgh Science said: “We share our planet with almost eight billion people and the collective environmental challenges we face have never been greater or more complex.

“As the custodians of planet Earth we have responsibility to ourselves and to future generations. The climate crisis is the defining local and global challenge of our age and as will be one of the great disruptors of the 21st century, radically reshaping how we live, work and play. But with disruption and uncertainty comes possibility….and with possibility comes hope … THIS hope is the elementary message at the heart of our 2020 Science Festival programme.”

SPECIAL EVENTS

Into the Blue

Supported by Year of Coasts and Waters 2020, this large-scale outdoor photography exhibition on Portobello Promenade showcases our relationship with Scotland’s waters. Oceans shape our environments and landscapes, influence our climate and weather systems, and have enabled the rise and fall of civilisations. They give us food and fuel, medicine and minerals, as well as leisure and pleasure. But their supply is finite or fragile, or both – under threat from pollution, global warming and acidification, over-fishing and biodiversity loss. Into the Blue takes its audiences on a fascinating journey around some of Scotland’s most remarkable coastlines, revealing the story of our oceans’ scale, biodiversity and majesty.

Edinburgh Medal Address

2020 Edinburgh Medal recipient is Sunita Narain, the Indian environmentalist and political activist. As a member of the Prime Minister’s Council for Climate Change between 2007 and 2014, she played a major role in Indian and global environment and development policy formulation.  She is currently Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). In her Medal Address, Narain discusses what must be done in our world – to make it less insecure, less angry and less vulnerable to the effects of carbon. Remember, climate change, like air pollution is a great equaliser. So, what can we do? Our existence is at stake. Nothing less.

Pale Blue Dot

Taking over the Grand Gallery at the National Museum of Scotland, Pale Blue Dot is a multi-sensory exploration of the depths of the seas and oceans and of their transformative and life-giving nature. Aimed at audiences of all ages, the exhibition focuses on the biodiversity and beauty of the waters and their role as energy, transport and food providers. It also showcases the risks they face – from pollution to the effects of the climate emergency on the planet’s weather and water systems – and explores some of the creative ways these are being tackled. In response to Pale Blue Dot, students from Edinburgh College of Art have created Ocean Threads, an exhibition of costumes and design books made from 80% recycled materials.

Dinosaur Weekend

Pleasance, venue sponsored by Cirrus Logic, is overrun by dinosaurs this Easter weekend! Dino-devotee Jules Howard presents his fantastic new show Prehistoric Beasts and How to Know Them, family audiences will also get a chance to create masks, hats and other stylish dino-accessories in one of a range of drop-in activities. Young palaeontologists will rampage around the courtyard on a reptilian egg hunt and join Festival’s friends from Dynamic Earth to dig for fossils.

Experimentarium

Also at the Pleasance, Experimentarium is back and bigger than ever! Running for five days this year, it is jam packed with hands-on science of all kinds. Visitors can explore the music of molecules, learn how radiation works, meet some of Scotland’s biggest pests, get hands-on with farming and get their brains tricked as they put their maths skills to test.

European Stone Stacking Championships

Rounding off the Science Festival’s contribution to Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2020, the European Stone Stacking Championships return for the fourth year and for the first time form part of the Festival. Stone stacking takes materials found in nature and works with Earth’s gravity to create sculptural towers, archways and other awe-inspiring structures from rocks and stones. Transient in nature – at the mercy of the elements, tides and time – these wonderful land-art creations merge artistic skill and the laws of physics to amazing effect. With a new family competition, demonstrations and workshops across the weekend, the Festival audiences are in for an outdoor treat!

Cyber Zone

The Festival shines a special light on the digital world with the brand new, immersive Cyber Zone at the Pleasance, packed with events covering technology, computing, programming and artificial intelligence (AI) for adults and young people. This includes, among others, programming a self-driving car, the Festival-favourite App Factory and creating an interactive story that changes depending on reader’s decisions.

EVENTS FOR ADULTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE 

EARTH: One Earth

Focusing on ways of protecting natural land diversity and building a sustainable future for the ever-growing Earth population, this series includes Adapt or Die, a panel discussion exploring what an extinction event means to the one million animals and plants at risk of disappearing. In How Humans Are Altering Life on Earth, Dr Helen Pilcher considers the many ways humans have affected even the most remote environments and have potentially caused some animals to evolve at breakneck speed to survive. In Disaster by Choice, science journalist Kate Ravilious talks to author and professor of disasters and health Ilan Kelman, who offers the uncomfortable truth that most natural disasters are created or exacerbated by human choices.

AIR: The Air We Breathe

Earth has a breathable atmosphere, a rare and precious resource. This series offers a variety of discussions exploring the opportunities and issues connected with protecting the air we breathe.

Let Me Breathe sees a panel of experts exploring the experiences of adolescents with asthma in Delhi, one of the world’s most polluted cities and present a personal exposure sensor.

Roads Re-Imagined focuses on how Edinburgh city centre could look like if it featured more cycle and pedestrian friendly spaces, creating a healthier future for its residents.

Electric Futures looks at our electric transport future and its benefits for climate, environment and human health.

In A Hydrogen Powered Future: Pipeline or Pipe Dream, ARUP’s hydrogen expert Mark Neller discusses the exciting role this most abundant yet underused element plays in helping to accelerate the decarbonisation of our industry, transport and homes.

FIRE: All Fired Up

Discover the steps – from policy to personal choices – required to create a cleaner, greener planet. Prof Hilary Graham, specialist in the relationship between climate and public health, heads a panel in Climate Sickness discussing whether a climate emergency is also a health emergency. In The Four-Day Week experts explore the benefits of a shorter working week and its effect on the planet. Consume. Discard. Repeat. explores the perils of irresponsible consumerism, including topics such as disposable devices, sustainable nutrition and fast fashion.

WATER: Water for Life

Part of Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2020, this special series shines a spotlight on the essential and life-giving nature of our oceans and on our relationship with them, exploring the challenges and opportunities they face and asking how we best protect them. Senior scientific advisor for Blue Planet II and marine conservation biologist Prof Callum Roberts brings Life on the Reef to the Festival, exploring how reefs became one of the wonders of the ocean world and how they now struggle to survive. Scotland’s Precious Seas offers the opportunity to discover the country’s diverse sea life and talk about the threats it is currently facing. The Five Deeps Expedition was a venture conceived by explorer Victor Vescovo which saw him reach the deepest point in each of the five oceans in his own, purpose-built, full ocean depth submersible in a series of expeditions between 2018 and 2019; in Exploring the Five Deeps a panel of experts discusses the challenges of such expeditions and what they brought to light.

AETHER: Go Digital

With technology embedded in every aspect of our lives, this series explores the power and potential of the digital world. Presented by Bright Side Studios in association with the Festival, Elemental takes its audiences on a multi-sensory journey of discovery where magic, alchemy and science meet. As of 2018, gaming disorder is recognised by the World Health Organisation and Addicted to Games explores the affects gaming might have on players as well as challenges some common misconceptions. The Festival also zooms in on pros and cons of deepfakes, the technique of human image synthesis based on AI and machine learning in Deep Dive into Deepfakes. With Edinburgh becoming one of the six UK cities to get 5G, Craig Steele of Digital Skills Education sorts 5G facts from 5G fiction in 5G: What’s In It for Me?

From STEM to STEAM

Complex problems require complex solutions and never before has creative thinking been more important. The Festival continues its championing of art-based learning in science and the power of bringing scientists and other creatives together with a programme that brings STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) together with Arts to make STEAM!

Syncrasy is a group contemporary art exhibition co-curated by Summerhall and ASCUS Art & Science which takes place at Summerhall. It offers its audiences an opportunity to experience the ground-breaking work of visual artists Beverley Hood, Victoria Evans and Sneha Solanki, who merge the fields of art, science and technology. Sneha Solanki probes the habitats of the un-natural and presents a new and expanding rendition of the ‘E-Number’ food additive system in E-Numbers V2.0. In Oscillations, Victoria Evans explores how distant and invisible phenomena affect our everyday lives. Using data sonification, she makes audible the cyclical patterns of the tides and their interplay with lunar and solar orbits; this exhibition will include sounds of Edinburgh coastlines. Inspired by eczema genetic research laboratory, Beverley Hood multi-artform sensory exhibition We Began As Part of the Body tells a story as seen from a point of view of an artificial skin cell, from the precious, short three week long in vitro life to disposal.

Also at Summerhall, Bright Side Studio’s Elemental invites its audiences to interact with the Elements as they embark on a magical, multi-sensory journey of discovery through an intriguing, immersive digital world in which magic meets alchemy and alchemy meets science. Play, discover and create with your fellow explorers.

At Collective, artist Julijonas Urbonas presents Planet of People, a fascinating project which sees visitors being 3D scanned before their bodies become part of an artificial planet made entirely from human bodies.

Artist and activist Dr Roman Viguier invites everyone on The Carbon Walk which will see everyone meeting at Dynamic Earth to collect a 5kg bag, the equivalent of 3.5 hours of the average carbon footprint in the UK before walking to the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation where those bags will form part of an installation representing one tonne of carbon dioxide.

Gastrofest

Where food and science collide in sociable science events! Where is Your Next Meal Coming From? explores topics such as food security and Scotland’s relationship with food and how the climate crisis might change things. Eat Shoots and Leaves shines a light on the tasty and increasingly popular world of veganism while Festival favourite Cheeseology returns with more cheesy treats. Coasts and Cocktails presents a selection of delicious drinks inspired by Scotland’s 10,000 miles of coastline. In Seasoning sees a panel of experts discussing the nature of spices and seasonings and 8,000 Year Love Affair shines a special light on the story of a humble tattie. Whisky and Water explores the history of one of the world’s favourite spirits – with a wee tipple included!

In other news….

  • One of Festival’s key highlights, Tam Dalyell Prize for Excellence in Engaging the Public with Science is awarded to Dr Andrew Manches from the Moray House School of Education and Sport at The University of Edinburgh for his unwavering passion to support children’s learning in the Early Years.
  • One of the UK’s leading nuclear engineers Dr Dame Sue Ion explores the country’s rich engineering heritage in Energising Engineering: Half a Century of British Innovation.
  • We need carbon for life but too much of it and we’re as good as dead! Prof Monica Grady (European Space Agency and the Open University) focuses on the fascinating versatility of carbon in Element Six.
  • In Truth About Vaccines a panel of experts examines the past, present and future of vaccines and alleviate public concerns about this hot topic.
  • Behavioural scientist Dr Pragya Agarwal presents Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias, a talk on how we perceive the world and how it influences our decision making, even in life and death situations.
  • In Wildfire Resistance Through Architecture design scientist Dr Melissa Sterry takes a look at the potential for urban resilience to wildfires through the creation of complex adaptive architectural systems by mimicking the biochemistries, behaviours and relationships of fire-adapted flora and fauna species.
  • Dr Rory Hadden explores the history and science of fire in Fire Power.
  • To honour the 30th anniversary of the famous pale blue dot image, the Festival hosts An Evening with Gaia, a special event of science talks, poetry, live music and hands-on activities in the shadow of the impressive Gaia at Dynamic Eearth.
  • You wouldn’t fly an aeroplane without a fuel gauge yet many economies are run without knowing the demands on our natural resources. Dr Mathis Wackernagel co-created such a gauge for our planet, The Ecological Footprint and in Decade for Decisions he discusses the ideas presented in the book.
  • Founder of The People Who Share and Global Sharing Week Benita Matofska is an expert in Sharing Economy, a phenomenon causing the most significant shift in society since Industrial Revolution. In Generation Share she discusses this hot topic and the 200 change-makers featured in her book.
  • Geneticist, broadcaster and host of BBC Radio 4’s Inside Science, Dr Adam Rutherford explains How to Argue With a Racist.
  • Did you know that electrical energy in a single mosquito is enough to cause a global mass extinction? Best-selling author Marcus Chown explores some of the most profound and astounding science around us in Infinity in Your Hand.
  • Edinburgh-based endurance athlete and author Markus Stitz has travelled 34,000km around the world on a single speed bike and presents Endurance with Markus Stitz to tell his remarkable stories.
  • They lie, they steal, kiss and sing. Indecent Insects offers a unique insight into the diverse sex life of insects.
  • Recorded in front of a live audience, Level Up Human is a comedy podcast show where audiences have a go at redesigning humans.
  • A scientist studying laughter, Prof Sophie Scott explores why people laugh and when do they laugh the most in What’s So Funny?
  • Science author and presenter Claudia Hammond presents Tired of Being Tired?, explaining why rest matters and offers a roadmap to a more restful life.
  • In Period Power, period and hormones expert Maisie Hill argues that being hormonal is a good thing.
  • Comedian Florence Schechter takes her audiences onto a hilarious and thought-provoking tour of LGBTQ+ behaviour in animal kingdom in Queer by Nature.
  • The Festival offers a variety of sociable events to get everyone’s science juices flowing! Scottish Famelab Final is a geekery galore: fascinating subjects and mind-blowing research presented live on stage in a bite-size, 3-minute talks.
  • Jukebox Bingo: Science Up Your Life is a 2020 science twist on the nation’s favourite pastime, testing everyone’s recall of scientifically-inspired chart classics from across the decades. Grab your dobbers now!
  • Comedians Simon Watt and Rachel Wheeley join science communicator Hana Ayoob to take the audiences through the world’s weirdest and most wonderful critters in Ugly Animal Preservation Society.

EVENTS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

City Art Centre

City Art Centre, venue sponsored by EDF Energy, once again becomes a family hub during the Festival with 5 floors of hands-on science for children. With two new workshops this year, City Art Centre is a perfect family day out – rain or shine – this Easter holidays. New workshops include Ocean Constructors where children build underwater landscape and Imagination Playground which unlocks the creative spirit as the little engineers make super-sized constructions. All-time favourites such as ER Surgery, Blood Bar and Splat-tastic also feature in a 15-strong line-up of world-class workshops.

EARTH: One Earth

  • Family audiences are invited to Dynamic Earth to marvel at our planet like it has never been seen it before, as artist Luke Jerram’s stunning Gaia comes to Edinburgh for the first time. A huge scale model of Earth, Gaia is 1.8 million times smaller than the real thing, each centimetre of the artwork faithfully recreating 18km of Earth’s surface.
  • In Think Plastic at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, a panel of experts discuss a science-meets-art collaboration encouraging all of us to think about plastic.
  • Historic Environment Scotland’s rangers and experts take audiences onto a unique journey of discovery on Holyrood Park’s dramatic hills and crags as they learn about the affect that the elements had on the landscape in Elements in the Park.

AIR: The Air We Breathe

  • Supported by British Hearth Foundation Scotland, It’s All Connected presents a glowing human LED sculpture which showcases how all heart and circulatory diseases at the National Museum of Scotland.
  • Imaginary Energy fires up the audiences’ imagination as they re-imagine our energy future in this entertaining, interactive show from Dr Stephen Peake.
  • Could hydrogen power the Cars of the Future? The workshop offers the participants an opportunity to design, build and test a model vehicle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.

FIRE: All Fired Up

  • In Polar Ice World: Heating Up and Melting Down, hands-on science demonstrations, interactive activities, lively discussions and stories of incredible polar experiences from real scientists shine light on these crucially important parts of Earth and the challenges they face.
  • In Zoo Eco-Detectives at the Edinburgh Zoo, young curious minds explore a detective trail following clues pointing towards sustainable innovations. Children learn about the five elements of waste, energy, water, biodiversity and food as they go, and uncover sustainable tips and eco-tricks to take home.
  • In Making Circles children create new objects for Zero Waste classroom as they explore about waste and how it can be transformed into something amazing.

WATER: Water for Life

  • Seashore Safari, taking place on Joppa Sands in Portobello, invites young audiences to investigate Edinburgh’s rocky shore and discover what lives there – with guidance from the Marine Conservation Society while in Seashore Nature Detectives naturalist and wildlife tracker Dan Puplett explores clues left behind by wildlife on Fisherrow Harbour in Musselburgh and near Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick.
  • Rockpool Rambles offers a unique opportunity to zoom in on the amazing wildlife of rockpools of North Berwick with help from experts from the Seabird Centre.

AETHER: Go Digital

  • For future engineers, Hands-On Robots is a must: presented at the National Museum of Scotland, it offers an opportunity to meet Arduino-powered wheeled robots, created and run by the students of the Edinburgh Napier University while Talos Humanoid Robot Showcase presents Talos, a six-foot-tall humanoid robot and the newest addition to the robotics research lab at The University of Edinburgh.
  • In Electronic Music: Beginners, part of Cyber Zone, participants learn how electronic circuits make sounds and solder components to a small circuit board which is shaped like bagpipes. When the circuit is complete, the gadget will be able to play a tune!

SCIENCE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

  • The Whirlybird, presented by Eco Drama, is an uplifting show for ages 3-7 which features movement, music, bird song, puppetry and lots of things that spin. It tells a story of Bird and Whirlybird with the latter struggling to fly. After many failed attempts, inspiration is found in a very special flying seed. A curious creature, ricketie-racketie on ground but in flight, a wildlife spectacle.
  • At Two in a Barrell audiences meet quirky best friends Riri and Moku as they find themselves stuck in a barrel sitting on top of an island of rubbish in the ocean which proves to be both a source of treasure troves and a real danger. The show explores the consequences of our habits and the challenges of co-existing in an environment with limited resources.
  • Following a fantastic SciDebut last year, StrongWomen Science Aoife and Maria return to the Pleasance with another fiery show filled with balancing a chair on a chin, juggling liquid and eating fire, all while revealing the scientific secrets of their astounding tricks.

In other news…

  • National Museum of Scotland hosts a variety of fascinating hands-on activities, including Bio-Discoveries where children get up close with parasites and mosquitoes, Life Beyond Our Planet: Design Your Own Alien which allows them to build their own sequence of DNA and run it through a DNA sequencer or Two Sides of the Same Brain, explaining the build and importance of the organ.
  • Also at the Museum, Medicines in the Making allows the little participants to play life-sized clinical trial board game which aims to cure the mysterious Easter Bunny Syndrome and Neuron Safari offers a chance to explore through Minecraft how the billions of cells in a brain work.
  • Using cutting-edge imaging techniques to uncover body mysteries in Body Image: Technological Tour of the Body, young participants run experiments to discover if whales are stressed and explore ways that body fat can be healthy.
  • Over at the Scottish Parliament the curious minds can experience an Adventure in Science while next door at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, families witness Holyrood Herbal Histories at the newly re-created Physic Garden, home to some fantastic flowers and hundreds of years of herbs.
  • Magnifiers and money checkers are put to use at Pound and Pence: Science in Your Pocket at the Museum on the Mound, revealing the secrets of the cash we handle.
  • Visitors to Surgeon’s Hall Museum get a chance to dissect a pig’s heart in a hands-on workshop Let’s Look at the Heart.
  • Aether in the Archways at St Giles Cathedral sees families exploring how instruments and voices sound differently depending on where you stand in this big, old, unique stone building with impromptu mini-concerts to test it. As an encore, visitors create their own musical instrument to take home using recycled and reclaimed materials.
  • One Health at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh invites young Disease Detectives to try out different lab tests to discover what bugs are making humans and animal sick. Also at the Garden, Shred and Melt with artist Carla Edwards gets everyone hands-on turning waste plastic into precious plastic!
  • At the Festival Hub, the Pleasance, audiences get a chance to control Foxdog’s DIY Robot Chef with their phones, using augmented reality avatars. IT consultants Lloyd Henning and Peter Sutton present their award-winning interactive comedy show, where participants work together to help cook dinner by igniting a gas stove, driving a sky tractor and firing the sausage cannon. In Carbon City Zero Card Game players become a newly appointed city mayor tasked with creating a carbon neutral city. Will they hit the zero-carbon target before their rivals? The race is on!

Minister for Children and Young People Maree Todd (above) said: “I’d like to congratulate Edinburgh Science Festival for compiling another world-class programme, particularly one that seeks to address the climate emergency through this year’s Elementary theme.

“The Scottish Government is pleased to have supported the event in various ways, including £130,000 in Festival Expo funding to Go Digital that explores how digital technologies can inspire innovation, and events under the banner of Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters, supported through the PLACE and EventScotland Open Events funds.”

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener said: “For over 30 years, our Science Festival has challenged industry and entertained audiences with cutting-edge discoveries, experiments and events. We’ve seen it grow from the world’s first into the biggest festival of its kind in Europe and its influence is greater than ever.

“Now, as we sit on the edge of major change in Edinburgh – spearheading ambitious plans to be Scotland’s sustainable Capital by becoming net zero by the end of the decade – the festival returns with an impressive climate change agenda.

“This year’s programme promises to explore many of the global environmental challenges we face and how we can all do our bit to help. Tying in with Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters, the programme will also celebrate our place as a coastal city.

“As a Council we continue our support of the Science Festival and I’m pleased to see that our own City Art Centre will once again be transformed into a packed playground for even the youngest scientists and pioneers.”

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Edinburgh Science Festival as part of Year of Coasts and Waters 2020.

“Scotland offers the perfect stage to celebrate our country’s natural biodiversity and scientific innovation, and this year’s festival will shine a light on the value of our seas and oceans and the challenges they face.”

Dr Gordon Rintoul, Director of National Museums Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating once more with the Edinburgh Science Festival.

“In this Year of Coasts and Waters, we look forward to hosting the Pale Blue Dot exhibition which will complement our Scotland’s Precious Seas display, part of a new programme of activity highlighting the issues affecting our waters including climate change and weather events, some of the key issues facing humanity at this time.

“We will also offer insights into cutting edge medical science through a range of events associated with our exhibition Parasites: Battle for Survival, which examines efforts being made here in Scotland to tackle five global tropical diseases.

“In addition to the packed events programme, our Science and Technology galleries showcase our outstanding permanent collections across a host of disciplines and our hugely popular Tyrannosaurs exhibition will be running throughout the Festival.”

Janet Archer, Director, Festival, Cultural and City Events, University of Edinburgh said: “The Edinburgh Science Festival is an important platform helping make the world a better place through science, innovation and creativity.

“The University of Edinburgh is delighted to partner with the Festival once more, with our world leading academics contributing talks and discussions as well as discovery activities for children and young people at the National Museum of Scotland. We especially welcome this year’s focus on the climate emergency.”

Dr Max Coleman, Science Communicator at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh said: “In the 350 years since the Botanics was founded as a source of medicinal plants our understanding of, and impact on, planet Earth has changed beyond all recognition.

“We are delighted to contribute to the Festival programme with a focus on the sustainable use of our planet’s precious resources.”

Eilidh Massie, marketing director at Dynamic Earth, said: “We’re always proud to be a programme partner with fantastic Edinburgh Science Festival.

“We’re especially excited this year to be launching our festival activity with Luke Jerram’s spectacular Gaia installation. This huge scale model of Earth is guaranteed to inspire and impress audiences of all ages.

“On top of that we have a jam-packed programme of hands on family fun in the daytime, and fascinating Dome events in the evening. There’s something to get everyone sparked up about this April!”