European City of Science festival lineup announced

The programme for Science in the City festival, part of Manchester's year as European City of Science, has been revealed

Feature by News Team | 09 Jun 2016

A free week-long festival, Science in the City will take place 22-29 July and involve more than 40 pop-up events across Manchester city centre.

The programme aims to bring science to life in a way that's accessible to all age groups, and to inspire and engage with everyone from the next generation of scientists to those simply interested in the world we live in.  

A number of new art works have been commissioned as part of the programme, including Sensory Soundpit, an audio-visual experience created by European City of Science artist-in-residence Di Mainstone. The AV display is inspired by Mainstone's research into ways the brain responds to sound and will run 23-29 July at the festival's hub, Number 70 Oxford Street. 

Another art commission, the Human Sensor, is a piece of wearable technology by media artist Kasia Molga that lights up in response to air pollution data and the wearer's breathing. 

Meanwhile, HOME will screen a series of films exploring science and scientific discoveries (25-27 Jul), and the John Rylands Library presents an evening of poetry paired with science (26 Jul), as five young poets present the work they've developed in collaboration with researchers from the EuroScience Open Forum. 

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Acclaimed composer Anna Meredith will be in residency at the Museum of Science and Industry, and on 27 July after four days working with young musicians will present a new commission, The Hexagon Experiment, inspired by graphene and by MOSI's exhibition, Wonder Materials: Graphene and Beyond

The programme makes a point of representing women in science, with events including a performance of a piece by Royal Northern College of Music composition tutor Emily Howard exploring the life and inner world of pioneering mathematician Ada Lovelace (RNCM, 27 Jul), and a citywide 'Women in Science' evening on 26 July comprising a number of social events aiming to encourage debate and celebration of female scientists, innovators and educators. 

Climate change and sustainability also seem a prominent element of the festival, as St Anne's Square is turned into an urban allotment between 23-29 July to explore how we could make better use of city spaces to grow food, and an event at Manchester Museum on 27 July brings together scientists and artists to envision a zero carbon future

The festival hub will be situated at Number 70 Oxford Street, which will provide a place for learning, debate and discussion as well as a central point to find out what's on. 

For more information, head to manchestersciencecity.com/science-in-the-city-festival and follow the festival on Twitter: @ScienceCity2016.


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