Tag: Edinburgh Science Festival

A programme both down to earth and out of this world!

Join us on Spaceship Earth as Edinburgh Science Festival blasts off from 5 – 20 April

From the depths of sea trenches to the far reaches of outer space; from the beginnings of life in the womb to living forever; from the sound of galaxies to the minibeasts in your garden, the Festival welcomes everyone to explore the theme of Spaceship Earth and how we can all live like astronauts for the good of planet Earth.

  • Edinburgh Science Festival 2025 delivers a programme which is both down to earth and out of this world, showcasing the cutting-edge technology and science to help us all live ‘like an astronaut’ aboard Spaceship Earth and together create a more sustainable future.
  • All-star names this year include Professor Richard Dawkins, former NASA astronaut and oceanographer Dr Kathy Sullivan, and Edinburgh-born Director of Community Clothing and judge on the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee Patrick Grant
  • DiscoveryLab at City Art Centre gives families five floors of hands-on science to get to grips with: the perfect family day out this Easter break. 
  • Guaranteed sell-out every year, Science Nights Out are back with more creative ways to get everyone hands-on with science in a relaxed environment. 
  • The Festival, renowned for its unique presentations of arts colliding with STEM, creating STEAM, delves deep into the worlds of speculative fiction, art exhibitions, sci-fi film screenings and music of the spheres
  • The Festival takes place all over Edinburgh with events, talks, workshops and exhibitions taking place at the National Museum of Scotland, Dynamic Earth, The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and Edinburgh Zoo.
  • This year’s Festival shows for children 5+ including a baking show that’s out of this world with The Great British Bake Off finalist Josh Smalley. 
  • Tickets are on sale now on edinburghscience.co.uk.  

Edinburgh Science Festival is the first and still one of Europe’s biggest science festivals, taking place over the Easter holidays, between 5 and 20 April.

With the 2025 theme of Spaceship Earth, the Festival continues its years-long commitment to Programming for the Planet. It urges everyone to live like an astronaut, a battle to learn from the constraints of living on a space station where resources are impossibly constrained, and every gram of material and watt of energy is precious. 

This year’s theme of Spaceship Earth draws on inspiration from science fiction and science fact, questioning how we might better live on Earth. As scientists begin to ponder the wonders of long-term space travel, the Festival invites visitors to enter the mind of an astronaut as a poignant reminder that resources on earth are finite and that we have the tools to utilise to create a sustainable future for us all. 

Edinburgh Science Director and CEO, Hassun El-Zafar said: “It’s a great privilege to welcome guests and visitors, from near and far, to the 2025 Edinburgh Science Festival – my first as Director and CEO.

“For 35 years, Edinburgh Science has been fostering curiosity, discovery, and wonder, and this year continues that tradition. This Spring, we invite you to explore how we can collaborate to build a fairer, more regenerative world – one that preserves and nurtures our Spaceship Earth.

“Our Festival programme showcases an inspiring line-up of distinguished scientists, intrepid explorers, and visionary thinkers, including Richard Dawkins, NASA astronaut Kathy Sullivan, The Great British Sewing Bee’s Patrick Grant, and sustainability expert Mike Berners-Lee. This year also marks the launch of DiscoveryLab, our reimagined family experience at the City Art Centre. 

“We hope this year’s festival will spark ideas, ignite passions, and encourage a collective sense of responsibility for the world we share. We are thrilled to share these experiences with you and look forward to the journey ahead aboard our fragile, beautiful vessel, Spaceship Earth.”  

 
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The Edinburgh Science Festival is an eagerly awaited event – sparking curiosity, showcasing innovation, and celebrating Scotland’s world-leading strengths in science and creativity.

“The Festival makes science accessible to all, while playing a vital role in inspiring young people, supporting STEM learning, and nurturing Scotland’s next generation of scientists.”

City of Edinburgh Council Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Val Walker said: “We are once again excited to support the Edinburgh International Science Festival, which transforms the city into a vibrant celebration of science and technology for all ages.

“Throughout the Festival, our City Art Centre will be a dynamic space filled with family-friendly events, offering five floors of hands-on science for children as young as three. Whether you’re making slime, becoming an animal conservationist, solving a crime scene mystery, or programming your own robot, there’s endless exploration to be had! 

“Inspired by both science fiction and science fact, and with the theme Spaceship Earth the jam-packed programme has something for everyone and it’s the perfect way for families to enjoy the Easter holidays together.”

Edinburgh Science is a world expert in producing live science events and the 2025 Festival is the prime example of the power of bringing people together to explore the fascinating world of science, technology, engineering and maths and arts.

The Festival is pleased to continue the fantastic collaboration with the venues around the city, including National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo, the Royal Botanic Gardens, The University of Edinburgh, and Dynamic Earth, each presenting a number of science events for children and adults. This year’s programme is spread across 30 venues and 40% of the offer is free to access.

2025 Highlights

DiscoveryLab, the Festival’s reimagined flagship experience at City Art Centre offers five floors of immersive workshops and activities for children between 3 and 12 years-old and their families to explore. From making your own slime, to becoming an animal conservationist, investigating a crime scene, or programming your own robot, DiscoveryLab is the most fun a family can have this Easter break! DiscoveryLab is supported by Cirrus Logic.

Edinburgh Medal (16 April) is a prestigious award founded by the City of Edinburgh Council in 1989. This year’s Medal’s recipient is Prof Johan Rockström, a scientist internationally recognised for his work on development of the Planetary Boundaries framework. Prof Rockström will be joining this year’s Festival with an address which examines Navigating Humanity’s Future on Earth. The award-winning professor was recognised in TIME100: Most Influential People, his TED talks have over seven million views, and his popular science books Big World, Small Planet, Breaking Boundaries, and The Human Quest encourage a shift toward more sustainable management of planetary resources.  

Spaceship Earth, free at the National Museum of Scotland (5 – 20 April),is aninteractive exhibition explores the challenges of living on a planet with finite resources, through the lenses of science fiction and space exploration. Exploring the latest technological advances involving the burgeoning UK space industry, we look Earthwards to consider re-designing everyday life to run on less.

Starry Names

The award-winning author of The Selfish Gene, Prof Richard Dawkins introduces his latest groundbreaking book, The Genetic Book of the Dead (14 April).This is an unforgettable opportunity to hear from one of the world’s leading scientific figures and to unlock the door to evolutionary history, seen through wholly new eyes.

In Less with Patrick Grant (5 April), join Director of Community Clothing and BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant in conversation with broadcaster and climate writer Lucy Siegle as they consider the crisis of consumption and quality in fashion.

In Above and Below: An Astronaut’s View of our Planet (5 April), hear firsthand from Dr Kathy Sullivan, both the first American woman to walk in space, and the first woman to visit the deepest spot in the oceans, about her unparalleled experiences as a NASA astronaut and oceanographer, as well as an advisor to Joe Biden. 

Every day, Arup works to shape a better world. But, in a rapidly changing environment what does “better” truly mean? Join Dame Jo da Silva, Arup’s Global Director for Sustainable Development, as she explores how we can tackle these changes in Shaping A Better World (17 April).

Get ready to make some noise at an unmissable night of fun, facts and fabulous entertainment with FameLab UK: Scottish Finals (7 April), the ultimate evening of quick-fire science. Scotland’s best new voices in science, technology and engineering will each have just three minutes to convey a scientific concept to you and our expert panel of judges, before a winner is chosen to represent Scotland at the final of FameLab UK. 

Climate Change

Scotland has set ambitious targets for achieving net zero carbon emissions, but with 80% of Scottish buildings currently reliant on fossil fuels, how can this be achieved? Join experts in sustainable heating Vital Energi and grassroots movement Clean Heat Edinburgh Forum for a myth-busting discussion at Clean Energy Communities (9 April). In A Climate of Truth (15 April), sustainability expert Mike Berners-Lee looks at the challenge of the climate emergency from new angles and reveals how the need for radically higher standards of honesty in our politics, media, and business is the single most critical point for those seeking change. Researchers from Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI) will showcase our climate change work and together we’ll draw a vision of a thriving future, living with climate change In Decide Your Climate Future (14 April).

More Climate Change highlights here

Popular Science 

How do we ensure that later life is a healthy life? Join Professor of Elderly Care Gillian Mead, Patient and Public Involvement Coordinator Daria Ihnatenko, Senior Lecturer in Global Health Policy Dr Emily Adrion, artificial intelligence expert Prof Jacques Fleuriot and Immunologist Prof Neil Mabbott for an interactive session Who Wants to Live Forever? (7 April). Memory Lane: The perfectly Imperfect Ways We Remember (18 April), psychologists Ciara Greene and Gillian Murphy explore the cutting-edge science of human memory, the ethical implications of memory manipulation and the pitfalls of false recollections. Are sins really moral failings or are they simply important and useful functions that aid us? Join Professor of neurology Guy Leschzinefor Seven Deadly Sins (15 April) as he reveals the hidden science and humanity behind our so-called flaws and follies.

More Popular Science highlights here 

Medicine and Health  

Soon it will be possible to diagnose health conditions such as Alzheimer’s years ahead of time – but would you want to know?  A panel of experts put together by the University of St Andrews will come together for Alzheimer’s: To Test or Not to Test (9 April) to discuss the complex, ethical questions that society must face. In Transplanting Hope (10 April) renowned surgeons Prof Richard Smith and Isabel Quiroga share the extraordinary and world-changing story of a 25-year journey which led to the first UK human womb transplant in 2023.

Join women’s health expert and documentary maker Kate Muir in Demystifying the Menopause (13 April), a shame-free discussion fighting the myths and sharing the truth about the perimenopause. Known for her activism and approachable, practical advice, Kate was the Producer for Channel 4’s documentary Davina McCall’s Pill Revolution, investigating contraception chaos. Injecting Hope: The Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine (27 April), at the National Museum of Scotland is a new, free exhibition at that presents the science behind the COVID-19 vaccine and explains the logistics behind its global roll-out. A curator tour with Sophie Goggins, Senior Curator of Biomedical Science, will also take place on the 9 April. 

Mosquitoes might be the world’s most dangerous animal, but they are also a cool tool for encouraging an interest in biology. Dr Aidan O’Donnell and Dr Petra Schneider have been awarded the University of Edinburgh’s Tam Dalyell Prize for Excellence in Engaging the Public with Science in recognition of their work to help pupils experience being a scientist and improve teachers’ confidence with STEM. They will present the Tam Dalyell Prize Lecture on 6 April.

More Medicine and Health highlights here

STEAM | Where STEM meets Arts 

The worlds of STEM and arts combine in this year’s programme for a selection of genre-defying events. Hear exclusive first readings at Sci-Fi Futures (8 April), a creative collision of science fiction and science fact, bringing together Scottish writers Martin MacInnes, L R Lam and Eris Young, and Professor of Applied Space Technology and Scotland’s leading space expert Prof Malcolm Macdonald. This exciting collaboration between Edinburgh Science Festival and Edinburgh International Book Festival, commissioned three brand new writings envisioning a utopian future truly living within our means.

Theoretical physicist and industrial musician Prof Bob Coecke is here to open our minds and ears with Quantum Music (10 April). Bob illustrates how the coming quantum revolution can be used to compose new kinds of music and will “play his guitar on a quantum computer”. In The Sound of Galaxies (16 April), an interactive sound-forward session, you’ll listen to galaxy data and gain a deeper appreciation for the innovative ways scientists explore the Universe. 

Can arid lands be spaces for new ecological world-making? Desert Future (11 April) is a film screening of Wanuri Kahiu’s Pumzi and discussion explores climate fiction, environmental humanities, history of science and Black/Africana studies. 

The Edinburgh Conservation Film Festival (19 April) is a celebration of conservation stories from around the world that will inspire, engage, and inform you about some of the many projects helping to protect the world’s biodiversity. 

More STEAM highlights here 

Science Nights Out

Enjoy a series of unique and engaging nights out in the city this April with Science Nights Out. Awaken your inner detective at Who Dunit? (8 April) and experience a behind-the-scenes tour of the oldest medical library in Scotland while you delve into the ghastly and most extraordinary world of historic forensic science. Celebrate An Evening of Cosmic Exploration (4 April) at this intergalactic night out that’s just for adults! Choose from a programme of quick-fire talks, interactive experiences, or relax with a drink. 

Join expert astronomers at Dynamic Earth’s Planetarium Lates: You are Here (10,11, and 12 April) on a journey and delve deeper into the Universe than ever before. There’s cause for optimism with Planetarium Lates: Don’t Panic! (17, 18 & 19 April) and you can enjoy your favourite science fiction films at Planetarium Lates: Earth from Above (10 – 19 April), including Gravity, Moon, Apollo 13, Star Trek IV, The Martian and Contact. 
 
Brace yourself for an out-of-this-world collision of science and fact, as the doors of the National Museum of Scotland are thrown open for Spaceship Earth After Hours (11 April). At this adults-only event, immerse yourself in the Spaceship Earth exhibition, marvel at new works in a costume show from the Edinburgh College of Art, and ask what it’s really like living on the International Space Station when you meet Turkish Astronaut Alper Gezeravci. 
 
Families

Families this year have plenty to explore at this year’s Festival, including with a special talk from NASA’s Dr Kathy Sullivan with Walk Like An Astronaut (5 April). Specially curated for younger science curious minds, this a family-friendly opportunity to ask an astronaut and eyeball an oceanographer. 

At The Ornithopter (5 April), a pioneering step in human powered flight, a visionary creation set to change the course of human history… or maybe it’s just a complete disaster. A celebration of spectacular failure based on the myth of Icarus, this new work-in-progress is an intimate walk-through performance experience. At The Ultimate Bubble Show (5 April) Help Ray, International Bubbleologist (yes, that’s a real job!) and Guinness World Record Holder, on his quest to make… The ultimate bubble! This is chemistry as you’ve never seen it before! 

At The Rocket Show (13 April) our backyard scientist discovers what it takes to build a rocket fit for space in this explosive family-friendly adventure. And at Incredible Inventions (6 April) discover how to design your own amazing inventions in this hilarious, interactive show with Blue Peter award-winner, writer and cartoonist Mike Barfield. 

Beastlands with Jess French (12 April) will transport you to a magical world full of imaginative creatures with presenter of the BBC’s Minibeast Adventure with Jess and zoologist Jess French. 

From hot cross buns to chocolate eggs, chemist and Great British Bake-Off finalist Josh Smalley explores the science behind our Easter treats in The Easter Baking Show (18 April). Josh also presents Mission Bake: From Bake Off to Blast Off (18 April) showcasing the wonders of space through the art of baking.  

At the National Museum of Scotland learn how to use Scratch computer programming with a mini LEGO® rover at Code Your Own Mars Mission (11 April), or learn a new language not spoken anywhere in the world at Let’s Grow a Language! (14-17 April). Unleash your creativity at Your Robot Friend (15 April) by designing the robots you want for the future. Meanwhile Eye, Eye Doctor! (16 April) gives you the chance to be an optometrist and uncover the mysteries of how our eyes reflect our overall well-being. Or become an e-waste scavenger and make some amazing robotic musical instruments from upcycled electronic junk at E-Waste Scavengers (19 April). 

Free Events for Kids: 
 
At Discover Our Science with The University of Edinburgh (7-10 & 14-17 April) meet scientists and discover what they’re working on in the drop-in space and have a go at being a scientist. Activities will be different each week of the Festival.

Calling all child scientists –the Festival is conducting a survey that aims to understand how children and adults think about conservation and insects, with prizes offered to those who take part in Moral Minds (7-10 April).

More Family highlights here

Partner Venues

There is lots more to enjoy for families across the city at Edinburgh Science Festival partner venues The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh Zoo and Dynamic Earth.

At the Botanic Gardens, highlights include hands-on workshops, Botanic Labs, talks on Plant Power, Botanics Lab, events using LEGO® bricks to explore how plants thrive, and explorations of the incredible Botanics’ Herbarium. More Royal Botanic Garden highlights here.

Families can have a wild day out at Edinburgh Zoo with animal experiences, natural resource workshops and conservation events aimed at all ages. More Edinburgh Zoo highlights here.

At world-class science centre and planetarium Dynamic Earth, families can meet microorganism, marine and sustainability scientists, explore a nature nursery trail, come face to face with some real creepy-crawlies and find their inner palaeontologists. More Dynamic Earth highlights here.

Around the City and beyond

You’ll find Science Festival events all over the city and in some of Scotland’s picturesque coastal towns. Let the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) experts lead you on a free and exciting journey, answering questions on the possibility of life on other planets and the technologies of the future with Family Day in Space (5 April). 

Discover Edinburgh’s storied history of theoretical physics in Higgs Theoretical Physics Walking Tour (5,7,12,14 April), a tour which guides you through the nooks and crannies of beautiful Edinburgh, highlighting places associated with extraordinary physicists who have called the Scottish capital home. 

At Edinburgh’s Veterinary History (9, 11, 12 April) veterinary Prof Andrew Gardiner and cairn terrier Annie treat you to a creaturely 2km walk exploring the history of veterinary education in Edinburgh and the links between human and veterinary medicine. 

Perfect for all ages, dive into hands-on space-themed activities at Wonders of Space Family Festival (11 April) at Archerfield Walled Garden. Be sure to also embark on a captivating tour of the solar system along the Dirleton Solar Walk, stretching from Archerfield Walled Garden to Dirleton Village. Geologists from the Edinburgh Geological Society explore local beaches at Beach Explorers (15-18 April).

At Sustainable Skies (14-18 April), explore the future challenges faced by flight through fun, family activities with a guided tour of the Civil Aviation Hangar to find out more about the future of sustainable flight at the National Museum of Flight. 

More Around the City and Beyond highlights here

Accessibility at Edinburgh Science Festival

At DiscoveryLab within City Art Centre, sensory backpacks and ear defenders are available free of charge from the ticketing desk on the ground floor, and there will be a Quiet Space on the third floor where visitors can take a break from the excitement. Although particularly designed for those with autism or sensory needs, these resources are available to everyone.

As in previous years, the Festival presents a series of BSL-interpreted events.

Visit the Festival website for more information on accessibility.

2025 programme in a PDF form here 

Mooving on Up!

Students explore Future Farming activity at this year’s Careers Hive

Mooving on up! Students Max Connolly and Amy Mills of Vale of Leven Academy pose alongside Elsie, a life-size Ayrshire dairy cow, as part of the Future Farming activity at Edinburgh Science’s annual week-long free schools event Careers Hive.

Initially developed in 2016, Careers Hive is an annual event from Edinburgh Science which inspires S1-S3 pupils to pursue a STEM-based career through hands-on activities and discussions with early-career STEM professionals. 

Careers Hive 2024 takes place for schools between 28 October and 1 November at the National Museum of Scotland, with a Public Open Day on 2 November.

Careers Hive offers a unique and fascinating insight that showcases STEM skills as transferrable to a wide range of sectors. 

Wearable device to help people deal with stress and anxiety on display at Edinburgh Science Festival event

EVENT TONIGHT:

Innovation Late

Monday 8th April at 7.30pm

Dynamic Earth

Innovation Late, supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering, is a gathering of some of the most inventive minds in the UK, ready to show off their incredible work for audiences to get hands-on with it.

An evening of celebrating technology excellence, Innovation Late presents the work of previous winners of UK’s premier prize for engineering innovation, the MacRobert Award, named after the trailblazing geologist, suffragette and philanthropist Lady Rachel MacRobert.

Audiences will have a chance to:

  • Listen to artist Ted Humble-Smith talk about his innovative new photography exhibition, in conversation with Morven Cunningham.
  • Meet the AI reincarnation of trailblazing geologist Lady MacRobert
  • Experience the Neurobright light and sound wearable device, designed to help ease anxiety
  • Programme robots and manoeuvre over a Martian landscape
  • Encounter the latest in kidney dialysis technology with Quanta Dialysis Technologies
  • Build a hovercraft
  • Test their construction skills on our earthquake table
  • Make a light theremin and a pencil organ with the adorable bumblebees
  • Find out how Renzor are preventing brain injuries in sport
  • Contribute to a poetical version of the Forth Rail Bridge

Mushroom-made clothes? Edinburgh Science Festival showcases the future of fashion

Edinburgh Science Festival – celebrating it’s 35th anniversary this year – kicked off on Saturday, 30 March with the theme of ‘Shaping the Future’.

One of the key exhibitions this year is Growing Home at the National Museum of Scotland, exploring the past and future of materials and how biomaterials – like fungi – can be used for fashion, engineering and more.

Part of this special exhibition is Symbio from Edinburgh-based artist Emily Raemaekers, featured in the picture. Her garment uses mycelium materials and leather made from vegetable processing waste in combination with cutting edge environmentally-friendly fabrics.

Adorned with elaborate laser cut designs inspired by mycelium structures, hand carved lino print patterns and featuring plant-derived biomaterial dyes. Her work highlights some of the key issues in the fashion industry nowadays such as textile dyeing being the second largest polluter of water globally.

Emily Raemaekers is an Edinburgh-based designer who specialises in garment design and construction, and hand printed fabrics.

She studied Performance Costume Design at Edinburgh College of Art before working as a freelance Costume Designer in the Scottish theatre and film industry. Emily ran a textile printing and fashion accessory business for 10 years in Scotland and Australia, and dabbled in upholstery, before moving back to her hometown of Edinburgh where she is now a events planner, blending creativity and the arts with science.

Symbio is a collection of biomaterial themed garments inspired by fungus structures. Many of the most exciting and talked-about biomaterials being developed today are made from mushrooms, and the designer has used this as the inspiration for these garments. The designer has explored the properties of a range of biomaterials using a variety of construction methods. Bracket fungus-like elements are attached using appliqué, an ornamental needlework technique. The elaborate cape structure is created using laser cutting.

The base dress is dyed with dried hibiscus flowers, a biomaterial dye that produces a rich palette of pinks and reds. Industrial textile dyes contain many harmful chemicals derived from fossil fuels, and textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally.

Many designers are now exploring natural dyes derived from plants, invertebrates, and minerals traditionally used by many cultures around the world. Although it is more difficult to produce consistent tones from natural dyes, this variation can be embraced as an aesthetic choice as part of the Slow Fashion movement.

The dress is decorated with mycelium patterns using linocut, a printmaking technique where linoleum is carved into to create a relief surface. The designer has printed these using water-based textile inks which are more sustainable than commonly used plastic-based alternatives.

The dress itself is made from Tencel(TM), a type of lyocell — a fibre made from wood pulp. As the raw material is responsibly forested wood, the textile originates from a renewable source, and Tencel(TM) uses a closed loop manufacturing process.

The fibres are also certified as compostable and biodegradable, making Tencel(TM) one of the more sustainable options for the fashion industry which are currently available on an industrial scale. 

The designer has chosen a range of cutting-edge biomaterials to create the mushroom-like appliquéd elements that adorn the garments. Some are made from Uppeal(TM), a leather made from apple processing waste leftover from the juice and compote industry.

The apple fibres are made into a powder and mixed with polyurethane, then laminated onto cotton and polyester. Apple waste makes up 20% of the final textile and every meter contains 5 apples. By using waste, Uppeal(TM) helps to create a circular economy which supports the planting of fruit trees and provides a second income for farmers.

It also reduces the amount of plastic-based fibres required to make a leather textile and is an interesting alternative to traditional leathers made from animal skin, as animal farming uses 83% of global farmland and is responsible for 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions.

MuSkin is also used for some appliquéd elements. This is an alternative to animal leather made from a large parasitic fungus that grows wild in subtropical forests. Every piece of MuSkin is unique, 100% natural and does not use any chemicals or plastics in the production process.

This fascinating material is designed to offer an innovative, low-carbon alternative to materials that use fossil fuels in their manufacturing process.

Animal leather has a significant carbon footprint, as livestock farming uses a lot of fossil fuels to power farm machinery the produce animal feed, and clearing land for livestock is responsible for much of the world’s deforestation. Animals also produce a lot of methane, a big contributor to greenhouse gases. 

Other appliquéd elements in these garments include SeaCell(TM), a new lyocell fabric that uses 19% algae in its fibres. Whilst a good example of a biodegradable fibre, the brand has faced some controversy for its claims that minerals and vitamins can be absorbed through skin contact with the fabric. As industrial interest in biomaterials increases, global scrutiny of any associated claims of green or health credentials also rises. 

Some more traditional biomaterials are featured in the garments, including:

  • Silk, a protein fibre made from the cocoons of certain insect larvae.
  • Cork, a biodegradable fibre made from tree bark. Cork is sustainable as the tree is not cut down in the harvesting process; the stripped bark regenerates and the tree continues to grow.
  • Linen, a natural textile made from the fibres of the flax plant. Linen is a sustainable choice for the garment industry because the entire flax plant can be woven into a fibre, making it a zero-waste crop. It also takes dye extremely well, and the linen used in this art piece has also been dyed using hibiscus flowers.

Consumed: Interactive exhibition at Granton Station Square

Granton Waterfront is delighted to be working with the Edinburgh Science Festival to bring the free ‘Consumed’ Exhibition to Granton Station Square from 15th-19th March.

Consumed is an interactive exhibition that shows us how small changes make a big difference. Visit the repurposed shipping containers filled with fun games and hands-on displays for little ones and the whole family to enjoy!

Learn how what we eat, what we wear, and how we live can impact the world. Little changes in our daily habits can make a big difference for our climate. Find out how you can make positive changes that are easy on your wallet and great for the planet.

Don’t miss out on the free drop-in LEGO® Build the Change workshops on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th March between 10am and 5pm.

Join a team of builders to learn about real-world challenges and create your own brilliant solutions in this workshop exploring the circular economy.

When: Exhibition: 15th – 19th March, 10am – 5pm

Workshops: 16th & 17th March 10am – 5pm (drop-in)

Where: Granton Station, Waterfront Broadway (opposite Morrisons)

A creative industries success story

Creative Informatics events at Edinburgh Science Festival

Creative Informatics, the research and development programme established to bring together Edinburgh’s world-class creative industries and tech sector, has partnered with Edinburgh Science Festival to celebrate the end of its funded programme and showcase the brilliantly wide-ranging community that has been built.

Since 2018, Creative Informatics has supported individuals and organisations working in the creative industries in Edinburgh and Southeast Scotland to do inspiring things with data and digital technologies.

Events and activities inspired by the project come together in a festival programme packed with creative experiences, demonstrations, and debates at the National Museum of Scotland and Summerhall.   

A new interactive exhibition ‘Unleashing the Power of Data’ runs throughout the two weeks of the festival at the National Museum of Scotland, and showcases some of the incredible artworks, objects, and innovations developed by Creative Informatics community. VR and AI tools combine with light, sound, and music across a series of immersive installations.

Exhibits include a VR obstacle course through digital landscapes traversing forests, valleys and cliffs from game designers Bear Hammer; a collaborative music making app that transforms phones into magic wands, allowing audiences to make music together in real time, created by Ray Interactive; an interactive light-box from artist Dominka Jackowska combining art, sound, and animation allowing users to manipulate sounds through drawing and movement; an AI-driven, Lego-powered DJ centre which allows visitors to create their own music using building-blocks, designed by Playable Technology; data-inspired art and sculpture from artists Rebecca Kaye, Mella Shaw, Caitlin Macdonald and Inge Panneels; and a digital exploration into Edinburgh’s fabled ‘lost’ Empire Palace Theatre.

Other events include ‘Creative AI for Creative Work’, a talk at the National Museum of Scotland exploring the burgeoning world of AI and its positive potential for use across the creative sectors, as Chair Frauke Zeller – Professor of Human-Computer Interaction and Creative Informatics at Napier University – is joined by creative professionals working with AI to enhance their projects – from developing playful innovations to creating new revenue streams for sound and audio production.

Lastly, experience why Scotland has a global reputation in the video game, film and TV industries at Let’s Play, a data-driven evening for adult audiences at Summerhall, part of the festival’s ‘Nights Out’ programme. This playful evening features interactive experiences, short talks from industry creatives and researchers, and AI-generated beats creating a live soundtrack to the event.

Festival-goers are invited to immerse themselves in a new world of data-driven inspiration and discover more about the programme behind the creative innovations. 

Creative Informatics is led by director Melissa Terras, Professor of Digital Cultural Heritage at the University of Edinburgh’s Design Informatics in Edinburgh College of Art, and since 2018, has supported creative professionals in Edinburgh and Southeast Scotland to develop new and innovative work by providing funding and development opportunities that explore how data can drive ground-breaking new products, business, and experiences.

Over the last five years the programme has engaged with almost 3000 businesses and individuals, with 683 benefitting from training and new skills programmes, and 136 SMEs supported to explore data-driven business opportunities.

This work has sustained 429 jobs and created 210 new products, services, and experiences, in turn generating over £7.5 million in further funding and investment. As the funded programme draws to a close, Creative Informatics now looks to the future and legacy support for the community created in the past five years.

Professor Melissa Terras, Professor of Digital Cultural Heritage at the University of Edinburgh: ‘We’re really excited to be celebrating the achievements of the Creative Informatics programme at this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival.

“Our events have been specially curated to highlight some of the extraordinary work developed through our programme – from innovations in gaming and audio production to artistic creations that push the boundaries of how we think, feel and interact with the world around us.

“These events and exhibits showcase the incredible Creative Informatics community that has been built over the last five years, whose practice, products and networks will form a lasting and supportive legacy for creative professionals across Edinburgh and South East Scotland’.

Creative Informatics is a partnership across four organisations: the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University, Codebase and Creative Edinburgh, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, Department of Culture, Media & Sport, the Data Driven Innovation programme and the Scottish Funding Council. 

Creative Informatics: Unleashing the Power of Data | Hawthornden Court, National Museum of Scotland | 30 March – 7 April

Explore some of the innovative products, new experiences and groundbreaking creative work that has been developed through funding and support from Edinburgh’s Creative Informatics programme.

As the innovation programme draws to a close, this interactive showcase celebrates the achievements of its creative community. Stop by to experience virtual reality worlds, discover new data-driven artworks and use building blocks to create your own music. 

Exhibitors

  • Bear Hammer | Venture’s Gauntlet | Explore vast and stunning environments such as open highlands, caves, cliff edges and a castle; each jam-packed with its own unique puzzles and challenges.
  • Dominika Jackowska | Interactive Light Box | Interactive, fun, and playful electronic installation for an audience of all ages, combining drawing, sound, and animation.
  • Ray Interactive | IMP | IMP is a fun, interactive, collaborative music making app that transforms phones into magic wands, allowing you to make music with your friends. Simply scan the QR code and you get to control a layer of sound and create music together.
  • Tinderbox | Tinderbox Games Club Expo | Using different forms of technology to make games. Together we play, research and make games, as well as design our own artwork, audio & code needed for them.
  • Ice Cream at the Interval | Reimagining the Empire Palace | A combination of physical modelling and digital innovation to explore and reimagine Edinburgh’s ‘Lost’ Empire Palace Theatre
  • Yaldi Games | Wholesome Out and About | A factual life simulator that broadens your horizons. Learn about foraging, healthy cooking & creative crafts while playing and then recreate them in real life
  • Mahsa Nikoufar | Creative Gradient | Creative Gradient uses GIS geospatial data and Python programming to turn raw data into contemporary pixel art, communicating the use of data to different age groups in fun and colourful ways.
  • Kate Ives | To the Core | To the core is a tactile Jesmonite sculpture carved with geometric patterns that reflet data relating to the decline of native British species and explores what we can do to support biodiversity in our communities
  • Ailie Finlay | My Kind of Book | Creative ways to ensure that children with complex additional needs, including PMLD (profound and multiple learning disabilities) have books and sensory stories to enjoy
  • Playable Technology | Beat Blocks Live | A new app for iOS that enables you to build music in real-time with traditional children’s building blocks
  • Ploterre | Naturally Curious | Ploterre uses environmental data to create artwork from processes and discoveries within the natural world. Combining principles from the fields of mathematics and design, it describes data via colour and form, making it more accessible, and beautiful in the process.
  • Mella Shaw | Sounding Line | A short film showcasing how Mella created Sounding Line – a award-winning large-scale ceramic installation addressing the devastating effect of marine sonar on whales and other cetaceans.
  • Cloud Quilting | Reul-iùil – guiding star | A personalised quilt pattern creator that allows makers to embed meaning in these significant handmade decorative and functional objects through the use of data-driven design.
  • Caitlin Macdonald & Inge Panneels | Picture Your Poisons |Picture Your Poisons is an intimate portrait of a cancer treatment journey through the specific lens of one patient’s course of treatment.

Creative AI for Creative Work | National Museum of Scotland | Wednesday 10 April, 6pm

The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence is creating challenges for the creative industries around human creativity, originality, intellectual property, and ethics. However, AI has incredible potential as a tool for creative work – for experimentation or as part of an ideation process.

Hear from creative professionals working with AI to enhance their projects – from developing playful innovations to creating new revenue streams for sound and audio production. Chaired by Dr Frauke Zeller, Professor of Human Computer-Interaction and Creative Informatics at Edinburgh Napier University.

Let’s Play | Summerhall, Dissection Room | Friday 12 April, 7pm 

Get your game face on and extend your reality as we explore how creative technologies and on-screen innovation are changing how we play and experience the world around us – and worlds we can only imagine.

Virtual production is one of the most exciting new technology areas and Scotland has a global reputation for game, film and TV production.

Join us for a playful evening with interactive experiences and short talks from industry creatives and researchers.

Try out some new creative tech or relax with a drink from the bar and some AI-generated beats.

Find our more about Creative Informatics and the Edinburgh Science Festival programme at creativeinformactics.org or edinburghscience.co.uk.

Follow the links to buy tickets and learn more about events.

Great Chemistry: Lumo and Edinburgh Science Festival partner for a greener planet

Lumo, the all-electric train operator, has announced its renewed partnership with Edinburgh Science Festival for this year’s theme: ‘Shaping the Future’.

Taking place over two weeks, from Saturday 30 March to Sunday 14 April 2024, thousands are expected to attend the series of interactive events, talks and workshops showcasing how science can create a more sustainable, accessible, and equal future.

This partnership with the UK’s largest science festival will see Lumo proudly sponsor one of six trails at the City Art Centre, focusing on Innovative Engineers. The trail will feature three distinct workshops – Little Sparks, Energy Makers, and Chain Reactor – tailored to inspire children to engage in problem-solving and explore technology and energy.

Lumo will also take on the role of Climate and Sustainability partner, sponsoring the festival’s year-long series ‘Climate Co-Labs’. This programme consists of round table meetings that bring together senior leaders across sectors to accelerate Scotland’s response to the climate emergency.

Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of Lumo, said: “We’re proud of our reputation for innovation and sustainability as we strive to reduce emissions in the transport sector.

“It’s thanks to great engineers and scientists that we’re able to deliver our all-electric rail service and, in partnering with Edinburgh Science Festival, we hope to inspire the next generation of innovative engineers – and, of course, transport them into Edinburgh for the science festival in the most sustainable way possible!”

Hannah Schlesinger Brodie, Director of Development and Marketing at Edinburgh Science, said: “We’re thrilled to have Lumo support the Edinburgh Science Festival once again.

“The chemistry between Lumo and Edinburgh Science Festival is a perfect match and will help many people to experience the excitement of the festival in a sustainable way.”

This latest partnership by Lumo adds to the already strong local commitment made by the company. Lumo trains are maintained at Craigentinny on the outskirts of Edinburgh and offer a range of locally sourced products onboard including Edinburgh Gin and Walkers Shortbread as well as the iconic Irn Bru.

Lumo customers can travel comfortably between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh knowing they’ll save 96 per cent CO2 emissions compared to taking a domestic flight between the two cities. The average fare for a single journey from London to Edinburgh also proves a huge saving at just £46.70.

The Edinburgh Science Festival takes place over numerous venues and locations around Edinburgh, attracting thousands of visitors to the city.

Thanks to Lumo’s fast services connecting Edinburgh with Newcastle and London, it’s the ideal choice for those planning a fun-packed trip to the Scottish capital.

Five floors of hands-on science fun

City Art Centre tickets go on sale on Monday

Tickets for the Edinburgh Science Festival’s City Art Centre – the flagship family venue – are released on Monday

Edinburgh Science Festival celebrates 35th anniversary this year. City Art Centre is sponsored by Cirrus Logic.

City Art Centre (30 March – 14 April) – five floors of hands-on science extravaganza for children between 3 and 12 years old. From making your own scab or slime to becoming an animal conservationist, investigating a crime scene or programming your own robot, City Art Centre is the most fun a family can have this Easter break! Allow 4-5 hours for the visit. On sale from Monday 26 February.

This weekend: Last chance to see Glacial Narratives – Cracks in the Ice

Glacial Narratives: Cracks in the Ice is on until Sunday (16 April) at Custom House in Leith (entry on the wharf side) from 11am until 6pm, as part of the Edinburgh Science Festival.

Glacial Narratives: Cracks in the Ice is an innovative and experimental multi-artform exhibition about ice from four artists who have spent considerable time in Arctic environments, and have developed a complementary series of artworks inspired by their experiences. These works will not only raise awareness of the wonder of ice as a material, but will also ask questions about its disappearance. The artists are:

Adam Sebire (https://www.adamsebire.info) – film-maker and video artist

Elizabeth Bourne (https://www.philotera.com/about/) – painter and photographer

Martin Disley (https://martindisley.co.uk) – sound artist, researcher and developer

Mary Walters (https://www.mary-walters.com) – print-maker, multimedia artist and producer of the exhibition

It has been funded by Creative Scotland’s Open Fund, and supported by Tinderbox Collective, University of Edinburgh Department of Geosciences,  Scottish Historic Buildings Trust and the University of Svalbard in Norway.

Dino-saur into the Edinburgh Science Festival final weekend with EarthFest

Dino-sauring into Edinburgh Science Festival 2023’s final weekend, the National Museum of Scotland is hosting the second of the Festival’s themed family weekends: EarthFest.

From prehistoric creatures to the cutting edge of climate science, EarthFest is a t-rriffic celebration of the world around us that offers the chance to learn more about our planet, the animals that live here and how we can take care of it. 

Families can build their own dinosaur from giant bones in the Grand Gallery’s drop-in activities zone, and adventure through a world of sustainability in Two in a Barrel. 

PICTURED: Thane Elders (age 7) getting ready for EarthFest this weekend at the National Museum of Scotland.

Roll on Easter! Celebrate Easter weekend with Edinburgh Science Festival

Celebrate Easter with Edinburgh Science Festival this weekend! Visit the Festival’s premier family extravaganza at City Arts Centre – featuring five floors of hand-on science workshops and activities for children between 3 and 12.

Families can explore the chemistry behind producing your own slime in Splat-tastic, delve into the world of motion in Speedy Sails, uncover the mysteries of dinosaurs which roamed the Earth millions of years ago in Dig Up a Dinosaur or perform a surgery using real-life equipment in E.R. Surgery.

PICTURES: Dorothy (4), James (1.5) and Kofi (1.5 ) getting eggsperimental with Imagination Playground, one of the City Art Centre activities.