A festival of discovery is set to return to Bath later this month, offering a host of engaging, interactive and fun virtual activities to help lighten the dark wintery days.
FUTURES2020, hosted by the University of Bath and Bath Spa University, will take place on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th November 2020.
Part of European Researchers’ Night, an annual event taking place in 300 cities across 24 countries, FUTURES2020 will offer people the opportunity to meet and chat with researchers, and take part in activities that showcase the innovative research taking place in the city.
This is the third year that FUTURES has been hosted by the Universities of Bath, Bristol and Bath Spa University, and the first year that they have been joined by the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter, bringing the festival to people across the South West for the first time.
In Bath, events include Never Explain, a night of comedy, with some science know-how thrown in, as Steve Cross hosts a science comedy game show like no other. It promises to be a enjoyable Friday night out from the comfort of your armchair.
On Friday and Saturday evening, locals are invited to head over to social news website Reddit for a special FUTURES2020 I’m a Researcher Ask Me Anything session between 7-9pm, where you can put researchers to the test.
There are also a number of events on offer from the other universities taking part in FUTURES2020, including the Curiosity Carousel Knowledge Fair hosted by University of Bristol and the Big Family Quiz organised by the University of Plymouth.
A programme of Discovery talks, panel discussions and Q&As are also planned for the two-day event.
Budding scientists are being encouraged to try out FUTURES2020 ‘Do try this at home’ challenges.
Hosted on the website www.futures2020.co.uk, there are a plethora of hands-on activities to try out at home.
Many of the FUTURES2020 events are targeted at families, with the aim of inspiring young people to consider a career in research, but there promises to be something to inspire all those that are curious of mind.
A full programme of events taking place in Bath and the rest of the South West can be found at: www.futures2020.co.uk. Some events are ticketed but all are free.
Helen Featherstone, Head of Public Engagement at the University of Bath, said: “We’re thrilled to bring together lots of events for people to engage with some varied and exciting research taking place at the University of Bath.
“You could chat to environmental scientists over on Instagram or listen on some of the region’s community radio stations to researchers in shows created with communities from across the South West.
“We’re also making the most of being a digital festival this year, meaning people from across Bath and North East Somerset can also join in with FUTURES2020 activities from the other cities.”