The blade from a pioneering tidal turbine, previously used in the Bluemull Sound in Shetland, has gone on display in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
The community owned Nova 30 tidal turbine paved the way for the development of the world’s first offshore tidal farm. It was produced by Nova Innovation who donated the blade to the National Collection.
The Nova 30 was the first tidal turbine to be largely funded by the community and created enough renewable energy to power critical infrastructure on Shetland’s Cullivoe Pier, an amount equivalent to powering 30 homes. The bright blue blade is over two meters long and was one of three attached to a huge underwater structure in the Bluemull Sound.
This prototype was trialed for two years and provided invaluable learning into the design, offshore operations and commercial viability of tidal turbines. In 2016 the turbine was replaced with the world’s first offshore tidal array and began supplying electricity to the national grid.
The blade has now gone on display in Energise, on the top floor of the National Museum of Scotland. This gallery explores the sources, generation and distribution of energy in Scotland over the last 200 years.
Scotland is a key European hub for testing and demonstrating marine power technologies, and as part of the UK is Europe’s leading generator of marine power. This rich source of clean, renewable energy is a critical contributor to international efforts to reach net zero carbon emissions.
Ellie Swinbank, Senior Curator of Technology at National Museums Scotland, said: “The turbine blade is a strong example of Scottish engineering and energy, highlighting our position as world-leaders in tidal energy.
“I am thrilled to see it go on display at the National Museum of Scotland, thanks to the generosity of Nova Innovation. I hope the exhibit helps to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable energy technologies, inspiring the engineers and innovators of the future.”
Simon Forrest, CEO of Nova Innovation, said: “We are delighted that one of the blades from Nova’s very first tidal turbine is taking pride of place at the National Museum of Scotland.
“It is an appropriate way to celebrate Scottish innovation and engineering in our efforts to combat climate change. Our blades have been capturing the clean predictable energy of our tides since 2014, powering homes and businesses across Shetland.”
Edinburgh Science Festival 2024 has everyone covered this year with a Shaping the Future programme, showcasing the cutting-edge technology and science to help us create a more sustainable future.
The Festival celebrates 35th anniversary this year.
Family favourite City Art Centre returns with five floors of hands-on science for children: the perfect family day out this Easter break. On sale from Monday 26 February.
Big Ideas, a series of talks aimed at adults, brings some of the world’s most renowned scientists and thinkers to the Scottish capital, including Prof Chris Lintott, presenter of the Sky at Night, Prof Richard Wiseman, psychologist, magician, entertainer, Dr Erica McAlister – fly expert from the Natural History Museum, Rachel Miller, a National Geographic explorer, Laura Foster – BBC Health and Science presenter, Prof Sarah Sharples, Chief Scientific Advisor for the Dept of Transport
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 alternative future with Future Proof, a visual arts exhibition.
The Festival takes over Edinburgh with events, talk, workshops and exhibitions taking place at the National Museum of Scotland, Dynamic Earth, The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh Zoo, Summerhall, Bayes Centre and many others, with new additions of Panmure House, Mary’s King Close and The Biscuit Factory.
This year’s Festival shows for children 5+ include Bakineering, exploring the science of baking by Andrew Smyth – of The Great British Bake Off fame!
Edinburgh Science Festival is the first and still one of Europe’s biggest science festivals, taking place over the Easter holidays, between 30 March and 14 April.
With the 2024 theme of Shaping the Future, the Festival continues its years-long commitment to Programming for the Planet. It urges everyone to build a more sustainable future as it showcases the cutting-edge technology, including Artificial Intelligence, and science research to help make that ambition a reality.
Edinburgh Science Director and CEO, Dr Simon Gage said: “We have an amazing festival lined up for our 35th anniversary.The programme touches the cutting edge of invention from the worlds of AI, robotics, space exploration to the unusual such as giant rooms made of mushrooms!
“And in amongst it, we look at some more familiar things in an unusual way such as disposing of the dead, poisons, the psychology of magic and virus bingo. Whether you want to blast it, build it, bury it or bake it, we have something for you and for little ones too if you have some!”
Edinburgh Science is the world’s expert in producing live science events and the 2024 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! – this year celebrating 35 years.
The Festival is pleased to continue the fantastic collaboration with the venue partners around the city, including City Art Centre, sponsored by Cirrus Logic, which every year becomes the Festival’s premier family destination as well as National Museum of Scotland 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.
As in previous years, the Festival presents a series of BSL-interpreted, audio described and relaxed sessions. At the City Art Centre, it also offers sensory backpacks available free of charge from the ticketing desk on the ground floor, and, for the first time, a Quiet Space on the fourth floor where visitors can take a break from the excitement.
Although particularly designed for those with sensory needs, these resources are available to everyone.
Visit the Festival website for more information on accessibility.
2024 HIGHLIGHTS
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.
Growing Home: A New World of Materials (30 March – 14 April) – highlighting the consequences of overconsumption, this interactive exhibition shines a light on biomaterials and how they can be used in future building, packaging, fashion and more.
Standing three meters high, Growing Room is an impressive architectural structure, devised and created by the Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment at Newcastle University, made from biomaterials.
Grown from wool and mycelium (the root network of fungus) to give it strength and stability, the piece shows how research into the future of biomaterials could transform the built environment. It is accompanied by Symbio, a display of biomaterial themed garments by inspiring Edinburgh-based artist Emily Raemaekers.
Developed with support from Creative Scotland through the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund. Supported by the Edinburgh Napier University, School of Computing, Engineering & The Built Environment.
Edinburgh Medal (2 April) – a prestigious award founded by the City of Edinburgh Council in 1989, this year’s Medal’s recipient is Italy’s Mario Negri Institute, a pioneer non-profit research institute dedicated to open clinical and biomedical research and renowned for its ‘patient-first’ rather than ‘patent-first’ approach.
Director Giuseppe Remuzzi accepts the Medal on behalf of the Institute and is set to share his insights into the benefits of the approach of this exceptional research team that does science for social good during the Medal Address on 2 April.
Creative Informatics, an ambitious research and development programme based in Edinburgh which aims to bring the city’s world-class creative industries and tech sector together, presents a fantastic series of events at this year’s Festival.
It includes Unleashing the Power of Data (30 March – 7 April) exhibition highlighting the latest achievements of the creative industries using data and digital technologies; Creative AI for Creative Work (10 April) featuring creatives talking about the use of AI to enhance their creative projects; and Let’s Play (12 April), an evening to explore how creative technologies and on-screen innovation are changing how we play and experience the world around us.
Our Fragile Space: Protecting the Near-Space Environment (8 March – 18 April) – opening a few weeks before the Festival, the free to access photography exhibition on Mound Precint in the city centre of Edinburgh presents the stunning photographs of Max Alexander’s, transporting its audiences to orbital space to explore the increasing issue of space debris and satellite crowding.
FAMILY PROGRAMME
For those who performed a surgery, dug up a dinosaur or built their own wind turbine at the City Art Centre and got hands-on with mycelium in Growing Home at the National Museum of Scotland, the Festival has plenty more in store.
Also at the Museum, The Rocket Show (7 April) is an explosive family-friendly adventure, delving into rocket science as we explore forces, test materials, and prepare for launch – so strap-in, countdown, and blast-off for a show that’s out of this world!
Join former Great British Bake Off finalist and creator and judge of Netflix’s Baking Impossible, Andrew Smyth for Bakineering (31 March), an edible exploration of the engineering involved in baking.
In Minecraft Disease Detectives (9 April) enter the Minecraft world to become a field scientist and visit different places to collect data on how a virus is spreading. Supported by LEGO® Build the Change, the activity under the same name (8 – 14 April) is all about learning about biodiversity and how to protect it – using LEGO!
Is the blue whale really the biggest animal ever to have existed? What killed the Megalodon shark? In Mysteries of Animals 3D (5 April), presenter and author Jules Howard outlines the weirdest and most elusive animal questions out there for future generations to discover.
Sci-curious aged between 12 and 18 can access £5 tickets for all talks at the Museum and The Bayes Centre using code TEENTALK.
Over at the world-famous Edinburgh Zoo, Career Fayre (3-4 April) puts staff centre-stage – keepers, vets, researchers and many more – to share fascinating insights into their everyday work while at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh the family-favourite Easter Trail (30 March – 14 April) returns, and Build a Better City (11 April) imagines a city that is good for us as well as for the planet by bringing nature into it, consequently reducing pollution, flooding, regulating heat waves and helping keep our minds and bodies healthy.
A science centre and a planetarium, Dynamic Earth invites everyone to Icy Investigations (5 April), a digital workshop looking at our melting ice caps and to become Planet Protectors (4-8 April), learning about ways to protect Earth, including building a mini bug hotel.
Ever wondered what lies beneath North Sea wind farm? Thanks to North Sea 3D (12 April) and Scottish Association for Marine Science, you can now see it in virtual reality!
The University of Edinburgh presents the ground-breaking robotic technologies such as Exoskeletons for enhanced mobility, the humanoids Talos and EVA, and robotic arms for handling objects in Bayes Centre Tour: Meet the Robots (12 April). Explore the Science in Your Pocket: Coins (2-6 and 9-13 April) with Museum of the Mound and step back in time to learn about Edinburgh’s rich medical history at Mary King’s Close’s Medical History Tours (30 March, 6 & 14 April).
Supported and presented by the Heriot Watt University and the National Robotarium, Robotics Unveiled at the National Robotarium (12 April) is a fascinating tour of the UK’s newest and fanciest cutting-edge centre for all things robotics – including a robot petting zoo!
Out and about, Explore Beach Pebbles (11-14 April) of Edinburgh beaches or go down the Royal Mile on a walk to Discover Edinburgh’s Mathematical History. Further out, the Scottish Seabird Centre encourages everyone to become a budding marine scientist and work on their Seaside Science Skills (10-13 April), including identifying rockpool creatures.
For more family events at the Festival, click here.
**Pics free to use**
Edinburgh Science Festival has everyone covered!
Maria Tolzmann and Andrew Jenkins of Edinburgh Science Festival getting ready for the Festival to take over the Scottish capital this Easter break!
Edinburgh Science Festival, the first and still one of Europe’s biggest science festivals, takes place over the Easter holidays (30 March – 14 April) and today announces its 35th anniversary programme.
With the 2024 theme of Shaping the Future, the Festival continues its years-long commitment to Programming for the Planet. It urges everyone to build a more sustainable future as it showcases the cutting-edge technology, including Artificial Intelligence, and science research to help make that ambition a reality.
ADULT PROGRAMME
Technology
Can you trust a robot? Coming face-to-face with cutting-edge technology, Two Truths and a Lie (8 April) is an interactive, Traitors-style experience exploring deception, truth and robotics at the Panmure House, home of Scottish philosopher, Adam Smith, presented and supported by the Heriot Watt University and the National Robotarium.
Carefully balancing conservation and creation, Constructing Tomorrow (10 April) uses Edinburgh and its UNESCO World Heritage sites to explore the work of the innovators at the forefront of future, sustainable construction.
Supported by Edinburgh Construction. In the Future of Transport (11 April), Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department for Transport Prof Sarah Sharples looks at the challenges and opportunities of transport decarbonisation.
One of the Festival’s Science Nights Out events, Innovation Late with Lady MacRobert (8 April) highlights the work of the potential winners of the prestigious MacRobert Award celebrating the UK’s most exciting engineering innovators – and includes demonstrations! Supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
From advances in disease diagnosis and treatment to the hidden carbon cost of AI, discover how this revolutionary technology affects global politics and society in TheFuture of AI (3 April) with Director of the AI & Geopolitics Project at the University of Cambridge and former Global Head of Policy for Google DeepMind Verity Harding and AI Editor at the Financial Times Madhumita Murgia.
The Promises and Pitfalls of AI (8 April) with Chemical Engineer Prof. Raffaella Ocone, Quantum Scientist Prof. Daniele Faccio, and Medicinal Chemist Prof. Stefano Moro explores how AI is shaping their scientific fields and why it is so much more than just ChatGPT.
Supported by Consulate General of Italy Edinburgh and Istituto Italiano di Cultura. AI for Earth (11 April) with Dr Will Cavendish, Global Digital Leader at ARUP and ex-Strategy Lead at Deep Mind, explores what role AI might play in helping us respond to the climate and nature crises. Supported by ARUP.
Join National Geographic Explorer and Founder of Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean Rachael Miller for a discussion around the Science and Solution for a Clean Ocean (1 April) as she guides as through the problem with plastic and the latest solutions to fight it. Supported by the U.S. Embassy.
Also looking at the new technology helping us tackle the climate crisis is Carbon Capture and Storage for a Net-Zero Future (8 April) – how much carbon dioxide can be captured and stored? What are the risks of storing carbon dioxide underground? As carbon emissions continue to rise, what are the risks of not doing so?
Audience’s favourite naturalist and author Jules Howard teams up with fly expert Dr Erica McAlister to fill us in on the latest discovering in insect sex life science in their trademark light-hearted style in Indecent Insects (5 April).
What happens to our bodies after we die? From the rising demand for greener funerals, to water cremation, human composting and “body farms”, choices are no longer limited to burial or cremation.
Join our panel of experts for Disposing of the Body (2 April) which lifts the shroud on the fascinating and taboo topic of alternative post-mortem care. In Free Agents (9 April), leading neuroscientist Kevin Mitchell makes the evolutionary case for free will.
Our Lives with IBD (10 April) presents a short film about inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), the people affected by them, and the new research that aims to improve these conditions.
Following the film, comedian Susan Morrison guides an entertaining discussion about IBD with the filmmaker Hugo Hemmati and the film’s stars, including gastroenterologist Dr Gwo-tzer Ho and IBD patient Molly Halligan.
Virus Bingo (11 April) is an interactive activity looking at what it takes for a virus to cross the divide between animals and humans.
Custodians of the Cosmos (3 April)features Prof Andy Lawrence from The Royal Observatory Edinburgh and eminent photographer Max Alexander exploring why studying the skies is of vital cultural and economic importance.
In Our Accidental Universe (12 April) BBC presenter of Sky at Night and Gresham Professor of Astronomy Chris Lintott takes us on an astonishing tour of bizarre accidents, big characters, and human error to tell the story of some of the most important astronomical events of the past hundred years.
Award-winning broadcaster and author Marcus Chown breaks down the big physics questions that explain the universe in The One Thing You Need to Know (12 April).
FOr Pink Floyd’s fans out there, Planetarium Late: Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (4-6 April & 11-13 April) is a mesmeric and immersive 360° show with breath-taking views of the Solar System, set to the official 1973 album in spectacular surround sound.
When STEM meets arts, amazing things happen – such as Future Proof (30 March – 26 May) at Summerhall, a series of exhibitions and events from visual artists that explore alternative futures through examination of the past and present and pose existential questions from the blurred boundary of art and science. It includes Morality Calcusus, a bio-art installation by artist Yuning Chen that recounts the endeavour of creating bread fermented with yeast-human cell hybrids in a synthetic biology lab in collaboration with biologist Dr. Elise Cachat.
There is also a theatrical tasting experience (13-14 April) accompanying the installation during which audience sample fictional hybrid organisms analogous to the ones involved in the bread making experiments.
In Post-Industrial Ecologies, Dawn Felicia Knox explores the way plants and fungi work together to undo the toxic residue of industrialisation on an example of one plot of land over 320 million years. The site, a coalmine during the industrial revolution, is a contaminated brownfield yet through the entanglement of plants and fungi it has become a vibrant ecosystem.
The University of Edinburgh’s annual Tam Dalyell Prize for Excellence in Engaging the Public with Science is awarded to Dr James Cook in recognition of his work increasing the public understanding of music in pre-Reformation Scotland.
Dr Cook gives his winning Lecture (14 April) on Linlithgow Palace, once the great pleasure palace of the kings and queens of Scotland. Aiming to recapture its lost glory, Dr Cook present an event bringing together scientific acoustic research, historical archival work, archaeology, and performance to reconstruct the music within Virtual Reality.
The annual Festival Opening Party remains the capital’s hot ticket – adult-only take-over of the flagship family venue, City Art Centre! Join us for a fantastic hands-on science experience on 28 March, getting down digging up a dinosaur or dancing with a robot.
The Festival’s main interactive exhibition, Growing Home, has its own late night event, Growing Home After Hours (4 April) which throws open the doors to the iconic National Museum of Scotland after hours; supported by the Festivals Expo Fund. A Night in the Undergrowth (10 April) cap-tivates everyone’s curiosity in a fun-gi evening event at the Biscuit Factory; supported by the Festivals Expo Fund.
Is Back to the Future better than Tenet? Is ET more accurate than Alien? Is The Matrix good enough to let us forgive its sequels? In Sci-Fi Snobbery (3 April) Simon Watt and Jamie Gallagher debate the merits of their favourites to work out which sci-fi movie has the most merit on both a scientific and cinematic basis.
Join mathematicians Katie Steckles and Ben Sparks for Pints and Puzzles (8 April), a mind-boggling evening of puzzles and mathematical thinking. Pit your wits against a series of beautiful, bamboozling maths brain teasers in this sociable night of fun!
And don’t forget to join Creative Informatics for a night of gaming in Let’s Play (12 April) and celebrate the latest in cutting-edge engineering (with demonstrations!) at Innovation Late with Lady MacRobert (8 April); supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
For more Science Nights Out highlights click here.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “We’re proud to support the 2024 Edinburgh Science Festival – another shining example of Scotland’s place as the perfect stage to host major events and the home of world leading festivals.
“The Scottish Government is supporting the Festival with funding of £120,000 from our Expo Fund, as well as £60,000 for the PLaCE programme to support the ongoing engagement programme with schools and community groups.
“This year’s theme, Shaping the Future is relevant and interesting; using technology and AI to help build sustainable solutions for Scotland. We’re certain all the Festival’s attendees will learn and have fun in the process.”
Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said: “It’s fantastic to see the city gearing up for the 35th anniversary edition of the Edinburgh Science Festival. The world we live in has arguably never been more innovative or advanced, this year’s theme of ‘Shaping the Future’ pays tribute to this and questions where we go from here.
“With events across the Capital exploring themes such as space, health and medicine, and artificial intelligence to name but a few, there is truly something for everyone.
“The Science Festival is one that’s particularly close to my heart, with many fond memories of taking my son and grandchildren along over the years. I’m really looking forward to the 2024 edition and I’d encourage all our residents and visitors to get involved.”
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”.
A new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland will explore Scotland’s critical position on the frontline of the Cold War.
Over 190 objects, many on display for the first time, will be brought together in Cold War Scotland (13 Jul 2024 – 26 Jan 2025) to tell the stories of the Scots at the centre of this global conflict.
Scotland’s unique geography and topography provided a useful base for Allied military preparations and research during the Cold War, a 40-year nuclear stand-off between the USA and the Soviet Union following the end of the Second World War.
ERKM4Y Polaris Demonstration at Holy Loch, 3rd Feb 1961
Atomic power brought jobs and investment to some of the country’s most remote areas, but as global tensions mounted the threat of attack or nuclear disaster became part of everyday life. Opening on 13 July 2024, Cold War Scotland will explore both the visible and invisible legacies of the war in Scotland.
The impact of the war still lingers in Scottish politics, culture and memory. Scots played an active role in the global conflict as soldiers, for example, within intelligence services and as part of voluntary civil defences.
The exhibition will also draw on Scotland’s rich history of Cold War-era protest and activism. Firsthand accounts include a young mother who decorated her daughter’s pram with Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) badges. A rattle made from an old laundry detergent bottle emblazoned with the CND logo was given to her baby during the Peace Marches of the early 1980s and will go on display in the exhibition.
The exhibition will also reveal the physical remains of the Cold War; the ruined bases, forgotten bunkers and decommissioned nuclear power stations still evident across the Scottish landscape. This infrastructure became part of the fabric of local communities, none more so than the US-controlled radar base at Edzell in Angus, now commemorated with its own bespoke tartan.
Meredith Greiling, Principal Curator of Technology at National Museums Scotland, said: “From nuclear submarines to lively peace protests and observation stations perpetually monitoring for devastating attack, the Cold War permeated every aspect of life in Scotland for decades.
“This conflict is so often remembered on a global scale, but this thought-provoking exhibition will offer a Scottish perspective of the period, allowing Scots from all walks of life to tell their remarkable stories for the first time.”
Further highlights of the exhibition include artwork from Glasgow’s 1951 Exhibition of Industrial Power and a toy nuclear power station, operated by steam and hot to the touch when played with.
Both these examples highlight the spirit of optimism, progress and modernity associated with atomic energy in postwar Britain. In contrast, a Geiger counter used by farmers in East Ayrshire to test for radiation in sheep following the Chernobyl Disaster illustrates the enduring but unseen impact of the Cold War on Scotland’s landscape.
The project explores how the Cold War heritage is represented and how museums can adapt to tell this story in future. Materialising the Cold War is funded by a major grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Game On, the largest interactive exhibition of the history and the culture of video games, will return to Edinburgh next summer.
The exhibition, featuring iconic characters and games ranging from Space Invaders to Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario to Minecraft, runs from 29 June to 3 November 2024 at the National Museum of Scotland.
Game On, an exhibition conceived and curated by Barbican Immersive, examines the creative and technological advances that have established a new medium and artform. In Game On, visitors explore gaming’s rich history by playing many of the key games produced over the last 50 years.
The exhibition will open over 20 years after the National Museum of Scotland was its very first touring venue in October 2002, after its initial opening run at the Barbican in London.
Since then, over five million people of all ages, have visited this highly interactive exhibition in 24 cities around the world.
Patrick Moran, Game On Associate Curator, said: “The gaming world has had an undeniable social, cultural, and technological impact. Games transcend the boundaries between art and technology, becoming part of popular culture.
“Game On presents the opportunity to not only see the evolution of video games and how they have diversified, but also lets to immerse yourself inside the gaming world allowing you to play with over 100 playable games.
“The show features the largest playable collection in the world, including original arcade, handle hand, and console games, including Pac-Man, Super Mario, Tetris, Minecraft, Just Dance and FIFA.
“The exhibition also explores new advances in the gaming world. Highly interactive, all action, groundbreaking and popular, Game On is engaging for hardcore gamers and visitors new to the gaming, the show is suitable for players of all ages.”
Dr Geoff Belknap, Keeper of Science and Technology at National Museums Scotland said: “It’s great to welcome Game On back to the National Museum of Scotland.
“As someone in charge of science and technology collections, it’s exciting to see the rapid changes in gaming technologies over the last 20 years reflected in this exhibition through objects which I used to have in my own living room.
“The exhibition has been continually updated at each new touring venue since the early 2000s, when the show was first in Edinburgh, and so we look forward to bringing the story of video gaming right up to date here in Scotland, where the industry today is so vibrant.”
The exhibition is organised in thematic sections, inviting visitors to explore game design and technological parallels across the decades.
The sections explore different types of gaming, from handheld to home console to arcade machines across a range of genres, as well as wider cultural aspects such as the links between gaming and both music and film.
The exhibition will be supported by a programme of public events.
Culture & Business Scotland Edinburgh event brings the sectors together to ‘cultivate connections‘
With both climate change and the recent slashing of government funding to the culture sector continuing to make the headlines, Culture & Business Scotland will be hosting a Members’ Forum focussing on how sustainability strategies can be incorporated into culture organisations.
Taking place on Thursday 26October at the National Museum of Scotland, the Forum will unite members for a series of presentations, success stories and sustainability strategies, with the aim of fostering collaboration and initiating a dialogue around environmental issues ahead of the launch of COP28 next month.
The cross-sector event will be attended by representatives from businesses of a range of sizes and geographical backgrounds, facilitating networking opportunities as well as providing a platform for businesses to forge connections with culture sector organisations and secure creative solutions to challenges within their practices.
The event will also feature speakers from across the industry, who will be sharing insights into how sustainability can be embedded within culture organisations’ practices.
Dr Ben Twist, Director of Creative Carbon Scotland, will compare the different ways that arts councils are addressing climate change, while Scott Mackay, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Scottish Youth Film Foundation, will showcase COP TV, a project aimed at amplifying the voices of Scotland’s youth in the context of the crucial COP event.
Meanwhile Hannah Schlesinger, Director of Development & Marketing at Edinburgh Science, will discuss TheNetZeroToolkit, a product of the organisation’s Climate Co-Lab initiative, designed to help businesses reduce their carbon emissions. Ruth Gill, Director of Public Programmes at National Museums Scotland, will also introduce the event and give a presentation on how the museum is progressing on its quest for Net Zero.
David Nelson, Head of Development and Programmes at Culture & Business Scotland, said: “The significance of ‘sustainability’ in the culture sector is huge. Incorporating sustainability strategies within our practices should be at the forefront of all our minds as the climate crisis worsens, and our Members’ Forum is set to create a dialogue around how best to do that.
“With funding to culture organisations under threat, it’s also crucial that we maximise opportunities to build strong and sustainable relationships between the culture and business sectors.
“Amongst the many benefits of membership to Culture & Business Scotland is the chance to access these networks and build innovative solutions to the challenges we’re currently facing, as an industry and as a society”.
Individuals interested in attending the Members’ Forum can find out more about Culture & Business Scotland membership here:
National Museum of Scotland (20 January to 6 May 2024)
The world-renowned exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, will open at the National Museum of Scotland on 20 January 2024, featuring 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.
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.
Launching in 1965, today the competition receives entries from 95 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 an astounding 49,957 entries from photographers of all ages and experience levels from 95 countries.
During an intense 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.
The winning images, including the prestigious Grand Title Award winners, will be announced on 10 October 2023 during a glittering awards show hosted by wildlife presenters Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin.
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 NHM contributes hugely to global understanding of human impact on the environment, and so we look forward to welcoming visitors to the exhibition and the Museum early next year.”
Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum says, ‘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 says, ‘What most impressed the jury was the range of subjects, from absolute beauty, rarely seen behaviors 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”.
Exhibition information:
Dates and times: 20 January to 6 May 2024, opening 10am to 5pm
To book tickets: www.nms.ac.uk/wpy
Ticket prices
Weekdays
Weekends
Members
Free
Free
Adult
£10* – £11
£11* – £12
Over 60s
£8* – £9
£9* – £10
Student, Unemployed, Disabled, Young Scot**
£6* – £7
£7* – £8
Under 16s†
Free
Free
*Book in advance to save. Advance ticket prices are available up to 23:59:59 the day before. **Valid ID required. Carers of disabled people free. †Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
Discounts available for groups of 10 or more. For school group bookings please email schools@nms.ac.uk
Blind and partially sighted museum-goers were in attendance as the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh hosted an Audio Described tour of their exhibition ‘Beyond The Little Black Dress’.
The exhibition explores how the little black dress by fashion designer Coco Chanel has changed over time and impacted fashion and culture, from punk and afro-futurist fashions to pieces from hit TV show Killing Eve.
Audio Described tours allow visitors with sight loss to experience museums and galleries with greater accessibility and enjoyment.
Kirin Saeed, a Disability Consultant and Actor, says: “For a visually impaired person like myself, the Little Black Dress exhibition is really brilliant.
“You know anything else you put with a black dress will match because everything can match with the black. It also has that kind of image of feeling sensational and a having lovely evening out, while also being comfortable. So, I was really excited to find out about the whole adventure of why the little black dress came about.
“I think all exhibitions should do an Audio Described tour or at least have a handling box or handling collection, so people can walk around and feel bits of material or what the artist has made the object out of. It brings it to life and makes the whole experience much more exciting, fun and warm and you learn a lot more about the information they’re sharing.
“I think the museum staff learned a lot from doing the Audio Described tour together, as opposed to just sharing bits of information you can read from a plaque. They were having to do a bit of research, think things through and describe the dresses which highlighted the great simplicity of some of the designs.”
Amelia Hilton, a Content Producer at RNIB Connect Radio, says: “This is the first Audio Described tour I’ve ever attended, and I absolutely loved it!
“It was brilliant to pay attention to and discuss the differences in colour and variety of shapes, materials and patterns the designers had used. Listening to the Audio Description of how the exhibition had been presented and organised really helped me understand the themes and the history of the Little Black Dress.
“The touch objects were really useful for understanding how designers wanted the wearers to feel when they had the outfits on, and it was so special to see the original Chanel dress and feel the material of such an important element of fashion history.
“Sometimes people think people with sight loss don’t enjoy or care about fashion, which is so far from the truth – on our radio station we talk to lots of people who love and create fashion, and who take a lot of pride in how they look. I’m so glad the 20th anniversary has helped us break down myths like this and helped us showcase some of the awesome skills and interests blind and partially sighted people have.”
* The ‘Beyond the Little Black Dress’ exhibition runs until October 29, and tickets are available on the National Museum of Scotland’s website:
Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania (12 August 2023 – 14 April 2024) delves into the most important and pressing issue of our time, humanity’s damaging relationship with planet Earth.
This is felt especially deeply in Australia and the Pacific Islands where sea levels are rising due to climate change and the oceans are filling with plastic.
The exhibition hosts the latest version of artist George Nuku’s installation, Bottled Ocean 2123, which imagines the state of the oceans 100 years into the future in an immersive, undersea landscape crafted from single use plastic bottles.
The artwork will address humanity’s unsustainable relationship with single use plastic, highlighting its impact on the natural environment and asking audiences to rethink their relationship with it.
It was created with the assistance of around 400 people including museum visitors, staff and volunteers from youth and community groups across Edinburgh. The opening of the exhibition coincides with the withdrawal from sale of plastic-bottled water at the National Museum of Scotland.
Rising Tide also marks the first display in Europe of a set of five kimono which make up an artwork entitled Song of Samoa, by internationally renowned artist Yuki Kihara, newly acquired by National Museums Scotland with the support of Art Fund.
This exhibition considers our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.
Examples include work by master fisherman Anthony C Guerrero, who uses historic weaving techniques to make contemporary baskets from plastic construction strapping that is found littering his local beach in Guam.
The vulnerabilities of Oceanic countries to climate change are highlighted, whilst showcasing the strength and resilience of their diverse communities.
Alison Clark, Senior Curator of Oceania at National Museums Scotland said: “This exhibition takes visitors on an important journey of reflection and action. While Oceania may be far away from Scotland, the issues of rising sea levels and plastic pollution are global and their effects are also felt here in the UK.
“The exhibition presents a diverse range of responses from individuals in Oceania to climate threats that are relevant to our own lives. Whilst the climate change threat is both real and immediate, this exhibition also provides a sense of optimism for the future.”
Rising Tide also features historical material from National Museums Scotland’s collections, such as spear points from the Kimberley region of Western Australia made by Aboriginal men from discarded glass bottles.
A recurring theme throughout the exhibition, these spear points demonstrate that Indigenous peoples in Oceania have always innovated, using materials found in their environment to make cultural objects.
Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania is part of Edinburgh Art Festival, taking place between 11–27 August 2023.
The artwork Bottled Ocean 2123, which imagines the state of the oceans 100 years into the future in an immersive, undersea landscape crafted from recycled plastic, has been installed at the National Museum of Scotland.
The installation, created by the artist George Nuku with the assistance of around 400 people including museum visitors, staff and volunteers from youth and community groups across Edinburgh, will be unveiled to the public next month in the exhibition, Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania (12 August 2023 – 14 April 2024).
The artwork will address humanity’s unsustainable relationship with plastic, highlighting its impact on the natural environment and asking audiences to rethink their relationship with it.
Artist George Nuku said: “Plastic is a fascinating material. We think of it as new, with all the things we use it for. But, in fact, when you think about how it is made, from material created during the Earth’s ancient processes, that simple plastic bottle is in a way one of the oldest things around.
“And if you think about it that way, like an ancestor, then maybe you can start to think about treating it with respect instead of throwing it in the ocean.
“With the help of hundreds of local people, we’ve taken a pile of trash and made something beautiful.”
Groups involved in creating the artwork included the Welcoming, an Edinburgh based charity supporting migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, as well as students from Edinburgh College of Art and children from Granton Youth, and Pilton Youth and Children’s Project.
Neil Hanna
www.neilhannaphotography.co.uk
07702 246823
Dr Ali Clark, Senior Curator Oceania and the Americas said: “We’ve really enjoyed and appreciated working with George Nuku on the installation of Bottled Ocean 2123, and with the many local people and volunteers who have helped with its installation through our community outreach work.
“It makes a fantastic, thought-provoking artwork for the exhibition and we look forward to people’s reactions when it opens next month.”
The exhibition will delve into the most important and pressing issue of our time, humanity’s damaging relationship with planet Earth. This is felt especially deeply in Australia and the Pacific Islands where sea levels are rising due to climate change and the oceans are filling with plastic.
This exhibition considers our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.
It will also host the first display in Europe of a set of five kimono which make up an artwork entitled Song of Samoa, by internationally renowned artist Yuki Kihara, newly acquired by National Museums Scotland with the support of Art Fund.
Examples include work by master fisherman Anthony C Guerrero, who uses historic weaving techniques to make contemporary baskets from plastic construction strapping that is found littering Guam.
Rising Tide also features historical material from National Museums Scotland’s collections, such as spear points from the Kimberley region of Western Australia made by Aboriginal men from discarded glass bottles. A recurring theme throughout the exhibition, these spear points demonstrate that Indigenous peoples in Oceania have always innovated, using materials found in their environment to make cultural objects.
Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania is part of Edinburgh Art Festival, taking place between 11–27 August 2023.
The exhibition is supported by a programme of events including a series of morning curator tours in August which take place before the museum opens to the public.
