Science Week is bigger than ever

Peter Hodges

October 18, 2016

IT takes a lot in Sidmouth to rival the popularity and feel good factor surrounding Folk Week, but a group of volunteers running the town’s science festival are starting to offer a worthy competitor.

The Sidmouth Science Festival is now in it’s fifth year, and has grown exponentially since the first weekend in 2012 to the now, stellar 10-day event that takes place in early autumn.

Over that time the festival has developed a successful formula.

Talks take place throughout the week and hands-on activities on the weekends; the Norman Lockyear Observatory hosts events on Sunday and, behind the scenes, the festival works closely with local schools by hosting events.

The festival is run entirely by volunteers, from the core team to on the day helpers. In 2016 about 175 volunteers contributed to the Super Science Saturday (see page 8).

A spokesperson for the science festival said: “We try to engage speakers who are experts in their field so that we in the South West can access their knowledge and ask questions.

“This year we have had Simon Singh to talk about maths and codes and Professor Mike Benton FRS (Fellow of the Royal Society) to talk about fossil dinosaurs of Devon. To encourage participation, particularly for those who cannot afford expensive admission fees, the organisers are trying to keep much of the festival free to attend, so we are very reliant on grant funding and donations.

“This year has been particularly difficult to fund. Numbers this year have definitely increased. We have noticed more visitors, especially from Exeter, although we do have people from further afield come and stay. It is really encouraging to see families in particular when they discover or learn something new.”

The theme for the festival is always ‘Science in our lives’ and organisers would like people to think about just how much of their lives depend upon science in one way or another.

Next year there will be a sub theme to the festival, which will concern health and transport.

East Devon District Councillor Matt Booth, who supports the annual festival, said: “Sidmouth Science Festival has come to represent how a small group of people with a vision and commitment to work hard to create something that will benefit the local community can make a real difference in Sidmouth.

“The event has grown year on year and this year and is a real credit to the town. We are beginning to see an increasing number of initiatives like this and they are vital to stimulate new energy, new ideas, and new ways of thinking about the challenges we face but also attract new visitors to boost the economy.”

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Wednesday, 19 October 2016

Sidmouth Science Festival >>> >>> "stimulates new energy, new ideas, and new ways of thinking about the challenges we face but also attract new visitors to boost the economy"

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