It’s a wrap: Science Festival success

DETAILS ANNOUNCED FOR 2024 FESTIVAL

Edinburgh Science Festival drew to a close at the weekend, having turned the Scottish capital into a living laboratory over the Easter holidays. 

With the theme Let’s Experiment!, the 2023 edition of the world’s first science festival got people of all ages hands-on with science through a fantastic and ambitious live programme of workshops, Big Ideas discussions, free interactive exhibitions and many more, one-third of which was free to experience.

This year’s edition engaged with 31 fantastic partner organisations from Scotland and wider UK and gave a platform to a range of inspiring speakers, 60% of whom were women. 

Some of the highlights included the Edinburgh Medal Address delivered by this year’s recipient of the prestigious award, food politics expert Prof. Marion Nestle, two themed family weekends bookmarking the Festival, FutureFest and EarthFest at the National Museum of Scotland and Ponyo, a unique screening of the Ghibli Studio classic synchronised with 2.4 litres of water at the FloWave research facility at the University of Edinburgh. Cherish: Shaping Our Planet free outdoor photography exhibition continues on Portobello Promenade until 4 May.  

The Festival team has now announced that the 2024 edition will take place between 30 March and 14 April with the theme of Shaping the Future.   

Celebrating the power and potential that human creativity, collaboration, innovation and play have to change our world for the better, next year’s event will explore the roles of science, technology and their creative cousins in tackling the challenges and seizing the opportunities that our ever-changing world presents.  

It will champion imagination, innovation, entrepreneurship and the value of creativity and play, and look at the tools needed to foster these and ignite a generation of innovators. By working and playing together, we stand the best chance of securing a sustainable future and ensuring that we are ‘the architects of our future not its victims’ (R Buckminster Fuller).  

Amanda Tyndall, Festival and Creative Director at Edinburgh Science said: “We live in a complex world and if we are to not only survive but to thrive, we need to foster the skills and come up with creative solutions that will help ensure that we shape the world we want to live in.

“The 2024 Edinburgh Science Festival will explore the science, technology and people making this happen, through an exciting, informative and playful programme for all ages.” 

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