Tag: Hamza Yassin

Helen Sharman and Hamza Yassin to appear at Edinburgh Science Festival 2026

Edinburgh Science Festival is the first and still one of Europe’s biggest science festivals, taking place annually over the Easter holidays with 2026 dates confirmed as 4-19 April and the theme of Going Global.  

The team is delighted to offer the Festival audiences a sneak peek of next year’s programme with two fantastic events, both taking place on Sunday, 12 April at Usher Hall.  

At 2pm, Hamza Yassin’s Adventures in Nature brings wildlife cameraman, presenter and author Hamza Yassin in conversation with science presenter Siân Bevan, sharing stories of unique experiences and adventures as a wildlife cameraman.

Having been born in Sudan, Hamza moved to the UK as a young child and now lives on the incredible west coast of Scotland where he is often found high up in the mountains filming his beloved eagles.

Hamza will be available for book signing after the event.  

At 7pm, An Evening with Astronaut Helen Sharman will see the first British astronaut sharing her extraordinary experiences from her historic 1991 mission aboard the Mir space station.

Audiences will hear about her training, blasting off on a Soyuz rocket and what it’s like to live and work in space including conducting science experiments.

In conversation with Earth scientist and former BBC presenter Dr Hermione Cockburn, Helen will reflect on the evolution of space exploration – from Tim Peake’s International Space Station mission to private space companies – and the growing international diversity in space programmes.  

Edinburgh Science Director and CEO, Hassun El-Zafar said: “As we prepare for the launch of our full 2026 festival programme in February, we are delighted to reveal that Helen Sharman and Hamza Yassin will be joining us in April.

“Our 2026 Festival theme ‘Going Global’ will showcase the research and innovation created through international partnerships which address shared challenges.

“We are excited to have Helen and Hamza, who have both worked at the forefront of their respective industries, back with us at the Festival to share their stories and experience.” 

Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut, said: “Space is getting really exciting again! “I’m delighted to return to Edinburgh to share some insights, including my own experiences of what it’s like in space.” 

Tickets for both events will go on sale at 10am tomorrow – Wednesday, 10 December and will be available at: 

www.edinburghscience.co.uk/event/hamza-yassins-adventures-in-nature/ 

www.edinburghscience.co.uk/event/an-evening-with-astronaut-helen-sharman/ 

Hamza Yassin attends opening of Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition in Edinburgh

Wildlife Photographer of the Year – 20 January to 6 May 2024 

National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street 

Wildlife cameraman and presenter Hamza Yassin yesterday attended an event to mark the opening of the world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland.

The exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, features exceptional images which capture fascinating animal behaviour, spectacular species and the breathtaking diversity of the natural world.

Using photography’s unique emotive power to engage and inspire audiences, the images shine a light on stories and species around the world and encourage a future of advocating for the planet.   

Hamza Yassin said: “I was delighted to be among the first people in Scotland to view this thought-provoking exhibition.

“As a wildlife cameraman and photographer myself, it was great to see such a variety of incredible images and to appreciate the skill, knowledge of nature and ingenuity that must have gone into capturing them.

“Photography like this can really inspire us all to think about the beauty and fragility of our natural world, as well as the things we can do to protect it.” 

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most prestigious photography event of its kind, providing a global platform that showcases some of the best photography talent from around the world for nearly 60 years.

Launched in 1965, today the competition receives entries from countries all over the world, highlighting its enduring appeal. This year’s award-winning images will embark on an international tour that will allow them to be seen by well over a million people.   

This year’s competition attracted 49,957 entries from photographers of all ages and experience levels from 95 countries. Over the course of a week at the Natural History Museum in London, entries were judged anonymously on their creativity, originality, and technical excellence by an international panel of industry experts.  

French underwater photographer and marine biologist Laurent Ballesta was awarded Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 for The golden horseshoe, an otherworldly image of a tri-spine horseshoe crab accompanied by a trio of golden trevallies. Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 was awarded to 17-year-old Carmel Bechler from Israel for his Owls’ roadhouse, a dynamic frame of barn owls in an abandoned roadside building.  

Dr Nick Fraser, Keeper of Natural Sciences at National Museums Scotland, said: “These images taken together tell a powerful story, balancing the wonder and beauty of the natural world with its fragility and vulnerability to climate change and biodiversity loss.

“It is perhaps less well understood how the work of in-house natural sciences teams and external researchers on collections such as ours at National Museums Scotland and those at the Natural History Museum contributes hugely to global understanding of human impact on the environment. We look forward to welcoming visitors to the exhibition when it opens this weekend.” 

Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum said: “We are facing urgent biodiversity and climate crises, and photography is a powerful catalyst for change.

“The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition reveals some of nature’s most wondrous sights whilst offering hope and achievable actions visitors can take to help protect the natural world.” 

Chair of the judging panel, Kathy Moran said: “What most impressed the jury was the range of subjects, from absolute beauty, rarely seen behaviours and species to images that are stark reminders of what we are doing to the natural world. We felt a powerful tension between wonder and woe that we believe came together to create a thought-provoking collection of photographs.” 

The exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and will be supported by a range of public events and activities.  

Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is truly stunning and inspiring, helping us discover untold stories of species from around the world.

“Our players have raised more than £3.3 million for National Museums Scotland and I’m delighted their support makes exhibitions like this accessible to everyone, allowing more people to learn about our natural world”.