Newcastle ScienceFest
Encyclopedia
Newcastle ScienceFest is a 10 day celebration of creativity and innovation at venues across NewcastleGateshead
, with the principal aim of increasing the North East’s enthusiasm for science
and encouraging young people to consider a career in this area.
The first Science Festival
programme in the city ran from 2002 – 2007. In 2008 funding from One NorthEast
was awarded for an additional three festivals (2009 – 2011). The festival is delivered in partnership with Centre for Life
, Tyne and Wear Museums
, Newcastle Science City, Newcastle University, Newcastle City Council
and culture10 as part of NewcastleGateshead’s world-class programme of festivals and events.
In 2009, the festival was re-launched with a new brand identity and website. There were three key strands of the programme catering for three different audiences; families, adults and schools. It included two big family weekend events (7/8 & 14/15 March) and a series of adult events (lectures/science fiction/performances) during the week, as well as activities specifically for schools. The highlight of the week was the first Maker Faire
event in the UK, which was held at the Centre for Life
and Discovery Museum on the 14 and 15 March.
Although there was no overarching theme for 2009, some events integrated with the national agenda. For example, to celebrate Charles Darwin
’s 200th birthday, the festival commissioned the Darwin Brewery
in Sunderland to develop a commemorative beer called Natural Selection
which was available throughout March.
In 2010, ScienceFest saw the return of Maker Faire – the world’s premier event for DIY technology and craft, ScienceFest After Dark – a series of late night, adult only events and high-impact events specially focussed on developing science literacy skills.
Already established and popular in the US and Japan, Maker Faire celebrates the Do-It-
Yourself mindset, and showcases some extraordinary projects by professional and
amateur makers. This includes robots and electronics, through to food, fashion, craft and
transport. The event is targeted at creative, resourceful people of all ages who like to
tinker and love to make things.
In 2010, Maker Faire took place simultaneously at Centre for Life, Times Square and Discovery Museum. The event doubled in size from 2009, attracting 175 makers and
7000 weekend visitors, including 30% from outside North East England (Belgium,
Holland and the United States).
Headline makers included the world’s fastest Rubik’s cube solving robot, Power Tool
Drag Racing and the UK’s most advanced musical tesla coil.
Headlining the After Life strand was Designer Bodies – an after-hours opening of the Centre for Life exploring the extremes of the human body through 10 interactive stations including live tattooing, life drawing and body modification with internationally renowned performance artist Stelarc.
Newcastle Science Festival 2010 was attended by 51,000 people, including families,
adults and children, across 120 events at 23 locations over a 10 day period. This
represents an increase from 2009 where 48,500 people attended the event over a similar
10 day period.
NewcastleGateshead
NewcastleGateshead is a brand-name associated with the joint promotion of culture, business and tourism within the conurbation formed by Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. With the use of printed matter and a web-site, the organisation produces, assembles activities and information into effective...
, with the principal aim of increasing the North East’s enthusiasm for science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and encouraging young people to consider a career in this area.
The first Science Festival
Science festival
A science festival is a public event featuring a variety of science- and technology-related activities—from lectures, exhibitions, workshops, live demonstrations of experiments, guided tours and panel discussions to cultural events such as theater plays, readings and musical productions, all with...
programme in the city ran from 2002 – 2007. In 2008 funding from One NorthEast
One NorthEast
One North East is the regional development agency for the North East England region.-History:It was established in April 1999. The North East receives a lot of government aid for regeneration....
was awarded for an additional three festivals (2009 – 2011). The festival is delivered in partnership with Centre for Life
Centre for Life
The Centre for Life is a science centre located in the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is an educational charity which aims to promote greater interest and engagement in science as well as supporting scientific research...
, Tyne and Wear Museums
Tyne and Wear Museums
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums is a regional group of United Kingdom national museums located across the Tyne and Wear area of north-east England. They have been administered by a joint board of local authorities since the abolition of the Tyne and Wear Metropolitan County Council...
, Newcastle Science City, Newcastle University, Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council is the local government authority for Newcastle upon Tyne, a city in Tyne and Wear, England. The council consists of 78 councillors, three for each of the city's 26 wards...
and culture10 as part of NewcastleGateshead’s world-class programme of festivals and events.
In 2009, the festival was re-launched with a new brand identity and website. There were three key strands of the programme catering for three different audiences; families, adults and schools. It included two big family weekend events (7/8 & 14/15 March) and a series of adult events (lectures/science fiction/performances) during the week, as well as activities specifically for schools. The highlight of the week was the first Maker Faire
Maker Faire
Maker Faire is an event created by Make magazine to "celebrate arts, crafts, engineering, science projects and the Do-It-Yourself mindset".-Past events:The first was held April 22 – 23, 2006, at the San Mateo Fairgrounds...
event in the UK, which was held at the Centre for Life
Centre for Life
The Centre for Life is a science centre located in the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is an educational charity which aims to promote greater interest and engagement in science as well as supporting scientific research...
and Discovery Museum on the 14 and 15 March.
Although there was no overarching theme for 2009, some events integrated with the national agenda. For example, to celebrate Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
’s 200th birthday, the festival commissioned the Darwin Brewery
Darwin Brewery
Darwin Brewery is Sunderland-based brewery which opened in 1994 and expanded in 2002.Originally a brewing school of the University of Sunderland with an 18 gallon plant,...
in Sunderland to develop a commemorative beer called Natural Selection
Natural selection
Natural selection is the nonrandom process by which biologic traits become either more or less common in a population as a function of differential reproduction of their bearers. It is a key mechanism of evolution....
which was available throughout March.
In 2010, ScienceFest saw the return of Maker Faire – the world’s premier event for DIY technology and craft, ScienceFest After Dark – a series of late night, adult only events and high-impact events specially focussed on developing science literacy skills.
Already established and popular in the US and Japan, Maker Faire celebrates the Do-It-
Yourself mindset, and showcases some extraordinary projects by professional and
amateur makers. This includes robots and electronics, through to food, fashion, craft and
transport. The event is targeted at creative, resourceful people of all ages who like to
tinker and love to make things.
In 2010, Maker Faire took place simultaneously at Centre for Life, Times Square and Discovery Museum. The event doubled in size from 2009, attracting 175 makers and
7000 weekend visitors, including 30% from outside North East England (Belgium,
Holland and the United States).
Headline makers included the world’s fastest Rubik’s cube solving robot, Power Tool
Drag Racing and the UK’s most advanced musical tesla coil.
Headlining the After Life strand was Designer Bodies – an after-hours opening of the Centre for Life exploring the extremes of the human body through 10 interactive stations including live tattooing, life drawing and body modification with internationally renowned performance artist Stelarc.
Newcastle Science Festival 2010 was attended by 51,000 people, including families,
adults and children, across 120 events at 23 locations over a 10 day period. This
represents an increase from 2009 where 48,500 people attended the event over a similar
10 day period.