New science and art festival for city centre

INSTALLATION: EKO - Out of the Blue by Autin Dance Theatre. Image by Dani Bower

By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor

A new festival exploring the connections between science, technology, engineering, art, and maths will be held in the city centre next year.

Called ‘Colliderfest 2025’ , the four-day event will begin on Thursday, March 13 and will feature two days of educational events for schools followed by a weekend of exciting science and arts-based activities, workshops and shows for visitors with a large-scale evening spectacle of light installations across the city centre.

The inaugural event, a collaborative effort between Hull City Council, the Hull Maritime project, Hull Museums and gallery, and the University of Hull, will kick off with two inspiring days dedicated to children and young people, encouraging them to embrace careers in science, green energy and innovation.

Attendees can look forward to a diverse array of workshops, performances, and interactive exhibitions led by industry professionals and world-renowned scientists. A focus on environmental issues will also be prominent, sparking conversations and actions that address our planet’s challenges.

The weekend will see the focus shift to families and young people, featuring an engaging programme with discovery zones spread across the Museums Quarter, Ferens Art Gallery, and Hull Truck Theatre to name a few.

Audiences will have the chance to participate in entertaining and thought-provoking discussions that impact on culture and society and challenge preconceived notions about what science is and what it can be.

The festival programme will include family-friendly shows by a wide range of science communicators. Visitors will also be able to participate in a wide range of hands-on activities, workshops and experiments including exotic animal handling, state of the art robotics demonstrations and activities demonstrating the impacts of environment and climate change.

Highlights will include an outdoor theatre performance featuring a 13-ft sea giant puppet telling a moving tale about our earth’s climate emergency.

Friday, March 14 will be an evening of light, art, and movement and will take place alongside Hull’s second Cultural Tides conference, when a culture and heritage strategy for 2025 to 2030 will be launched at Hull Truck Theatre.

City council leader Mike Ross said: “This festival is an incredible opportunity to inspire the next generation.

“As the first city centre science and art festival, we hope to establish it as an annual celebration. For those who may not have a prior interest in science and arts, we believe there will be something in the programme to spark curiosity, creativity and a desire to learn more.

“Alongside the launch of our new culture and heritage strategy, the event aims to shine a light on Hull’s continuing journey as a city brimming with culture and creativity.”

Professor Mark Lorch, festival director and professor of public engagement and science communication at the university, said: “Over the last ten years we’ve held a science festival centred around the university campus. I’m thrilled that partnerships with Hull City Council, the Hull Maritime project, Hull Museums and gallery, have enabled this to grow into a city-wide event.

“Colliderfest will fuse all drama and creativity of the arts with the amazing science and technology from around the region and create a truly inspiring new feature in the city’s calendar.”

More details on the festival schedule and ticketing will be announced soon.