Cheltenham Science Festival

The Cheltenham Science Festival is one of the UK's leading science festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Jazz, Music and Literature Festivals that run every year.

The logo of the Cheltenham Science Festival

Introduction and History

The youngest of the Cheltenham Festivals, the Cheltenham Science Festival was first held in 2002, and has quickly grown to become one of the most significant of its kind in the UK.

The 2012 event will take place between 12 and 17 June.

Guests and Directors

Co-Directors Kathy Sykes and Mark Lythgoe at the 2009 Cheltenham Science Festival

The Festival has attracted many significant names in Science over the years, including Robert Winston (the first 'guest director' in 2004), David Puttnam (Director 2005), Jonathon Porritt (Director 2007), Adam Hart-Davis, Susan Greenfield, Richard Dawkins, Lucy Hawking, A. C. Grayling, Tony Robinson and Richard Hammond. In 2012 the guest directors will be space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock and comedian Marcus Brigstocke

Programme

The Cheltenham Science Festival aims to engage in entertaining, challenging and deliberately discussing controversial issues and experiences.

Discover Zone

A main feature of the festival is the Discover Zone. Billed as 'Interactive Science for all ages', it is a free interactive exhibition space that takes up the main space of Cheltenham's Town Hall.

FameLab

FameLab® was set up in 2005 by Cheltenham Science Festival in partnership with NESTA. In 2007, the competition was adopted by the British Council as one of its flagship science engagement projects, first as a South East Europe pilot. By 2010, Famelab expanded to include 14 nations across Europe, Asia and Africa, setting the stage for a growing global phenomenon. In 2012 the competition operated in 20 locations including the USA via NASA, 19 of which participated in international semifinals on June 13, 2012. Ten countries were represented at the International Grand Final at the Cheltenham Science Festival on June 15, an event that, for the first time, was streamed on the internet throughout the world to thousands, if not millions, of viewers.

Over 4,000 young science communicators ("Famelabbers") have participated in Famelab competitions in their home countries, about 100 of which also represented their home countries at the Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK. It is fairly common in Famelab competitions that a Famelabber may not originate in the country they represent at the international finals, such as Bechara Saab (originally from Canada), who was the first to represent Switzerland at the International Grand Final, and Didac Carmona (originally from Spain), who represented Austria and won the International Grand Final in 2012.

Festival History

2013

Festival Directors

• Kathy Sykes
• Mark Lythgoe

Guest directors

• Dame Wendy Hall
• David Willetts
• Dara Ó Briain

Themes

The 2013 Science Festival programme promises to be as diverse as ever, exploring everything from DNA and frontier medicine to comets and the humble cup of tea. Plus, get the inside scoop on the Higgs boson from the man who started it all: physicist Peter Higgs.

New Features / Expansion

For 2013, the introduction of the MRC Helix Theatre and return of the GE Pavilion for its second year marked even further growth in the development of the festival.

2012

Festival Directors

• Kathy Sykes
• Mark Lythgoe

Guest directors

• Maggie Aderin-Pocock
• Marcus Brigstocke

Themes

Celebrating the 11th Cheltenham Science Festival, the theme is 'RE:Generation', "With a whole host of linked events from nerve regeneration to business regeneration through science." There have also been invited comedians like Robin Ince.

New Features / Expansion

This year marks an expansion of its adult focussed AREA 42 interactive zone and new collaborations

2010

Festival Directors

• Kathy Sykes
• Mark Lythgoe

Guest director

• Brian Cox

2009

Festival Directors

• Kathy Sykes
• Mark Lythgoe

Guest director

• Carol Vorderman

Themes

Including:

• Darwin - 2009 being 'Darwin Year', 200 years since his birth
• Galileo - celebrating the International Year of Astronomy
• Climate change

One of the Festival Partners is Chosen Hill School, the first secondary school to ever sponsor the festival.

2008

Festival Directors

• Kathy Sykes
• Mark Lythgoe

Guest Director

• Nick Ross - Journalist, broadcaster and presenter of BBC Crimewatch

Themes

Some of the major topics for 2008:

• 'Taboo'
• Mental capital and wellbeing
• The sustainable world

New Features / Expansion

A larger main area, two days of free outdoor activities, and more external events around Cheltenham. Also new - the 'Talking Point' - a place to continue debates and discussions inspired in events. The year 2008 saw the creation of SciFest, the International Science Festival, held in St Louis USA. This Science Festival was set up as a collaboration between Cheltenham Festivals and the St. Louis Science Center, in St Louis, Missouri, USA; and is run in a similar way to the UK festival on which it is based.

2007

Festival Directors

• Kathy Sykes
• Mark Lythgoe

Guest Director

• Jonathon Porritt - Chair of the UK’s Sustainable Development Commission

Themes

Some of the major topics for 2007:

• Climate Change
• 'Perfect Humans'

2006

Festival Directors

• Frank Burnet
• Kathy Sykes

Guest Director

No named Guest Director.

Theme

• Relationships - Including between humans and the planet and humans and urban spaces.

New Features / Expansion

The ExperiTent was introduced this year which was used for hands-on workshops aimed at schools and families.

2005

Festival Directors

• Frank Burnet
• Kathy Sykes

Guest Director

• David Puttnam - Film producer

Theme

• Other Worlds - Including developing countries, extreme environments and altered states.

2004

Festival Directors

• Frank Burnet
• Kathy Sykes

Guest Director

• Robert Winston

Theme

• Perception

New Features / Expansion

This year saw the introduction of a Guest Director who programmes events related to their area of interest and expertise. The first two years saw events taking place in the Cheltenham Town Hall and the Everyman theatre. This year, the Everyman was not used and instead The Arena, a large marquee built on gardens outside the Town Hall, was introduced which was used as the venue for the more popular events.

2003

Festival Directors

• Frank Burnet
• Kathy Sykes

Theme

• Time and Space - Including exploring the cosmos, the science of ageing and the past and future of our planet.

2002

Festival Directors

• Frank Burnet
• Kathy Sykes

Cheltenham Festivals

The Cheltenham Science Festival is just one of the four festivals that Cheltenham Festivals run each year. Combined with the Jazz, Music and Literature Festivals, Cheltenham Festivals host over 700 events across 12 months. The four festivals have worked together to ensure Cheltenham’s enviable reputation as the festival capital of Britain, and attract some of the art’s biggest names.

See also

• Cheltenham Festivals official website
• Cheltenham Festivals Myspace Page
• Facebook page for the Cheltenham Festivals
• Guide to Cheltenham and its festivals

External links

• Folk Festival Information
• Cheltenham Town Hall
• Pitville Pump Room Information
• The Everyman Theatre
• The Playhouse (Cheltenham)
• Fame Lab 2011 winners - From Nature Publishing Group's team blog

References

• Cheltenham Science Festival Programmes 2004-6 and 2008-9
• [1] Cheltenham Festivals Website accessed through the Internet Archive WayBackMachine [2]