Cheltenham Science Festival
Encyclopedia
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 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 2011 event will take place between 7-12 June.
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
.
.
with sponsorship and in-kind support from Pfizer
, Silicon 19, Channel 4
and The Daily Telegraph
. In 2007 the competition was adopted by the British Council
as one of its flagship science engagement projects first in a South East Europe pilot and then expanding this in 2010 to include 14 across Europe, Asia and Africa. Thus FameLab has truly become a growing global phenomenon!
to X Chromosomes
" There have also been invited comedians like Robin Ince
.
One of the Festival Partners is Chosen Hill School
, the first secondary school to ever sponsor the festival.
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.
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.
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.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's leading science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals
Cheltenham Festivals
]Cheltenham Festivals is a registered charity that organises four festivals every year in the spa town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: the Jazz, Science, Music and Literature. In addition to this it promotes the use of several venues for private and commercial use ]Cheltenham Festivals is a...
: also responsible for the Jazz
Cheltenham Jazz Festival
Cheltenham Jazz Festival is one of the UK’s leading jazz festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Science, Music and Literature Festivals that run every year.]-Introduction and history:...
, Music
Cheltenham Music Festival
The Cheltenham Music Festival is one of the oldest music festivals in Britain, held annually in Cheltenham in June/July since 1945. The festival is renowned for premieres of contemporary music, hosting over 250 music premieres as of July 2004....
and Literature
Cheltenham Literature Festival
The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, a large-scale international festival of literature in the Spa town of Cheltenham, and part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Jazz, Music and Science Festivals that run every year....
Festivals that run every year.
Introduction and History
The youngest of the Cheltenham FestivalsCheltenham Festivals
]Cheltenham Festivals is a registered charity that organises four festivals every year in the spa town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: the Jazz, Science, Music and Literature. In addition to this it promotes the use of several venues for private and commercial use ]Cheltenham Festivals is a...
, 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 2011 event will take place between 7-12 June.
Guests and Directors
Robert Winston
Robert Maurice Lipson Winston, Baron Winston is a British professor, medical doctor, scientist, television presenter and politician.-Early life and education :...
(the first 'guest director' in 2004), David Puttnam
David Puttnam
David Terence Puttnam, Baron Puttnam, CBE, FRSA is a British film producer. He sits on the Labour benches in the House of Lords, although he is not principally a politician.-Early life:...
(Director 2005), Jonathon Porritt
Jonathon Porritt
Jonathon Espie Porritt, CBE, is an English environmentalist and writer. Porritt appears frequently in the media, writing in magazines, newspapers and books, and appearing on radio and television regularly.-Early life and family background:...
(Director 2007), Adam Hart-Davis
Adam Hart-Davis
Adam John Hart-Davis is an English scientist, author, photographer, historian and broadcaster, well-known in the UK for presenting the BBC television series Local Heroes and What the Romans Did for Us, the latter spawning several spin-off series involving the Victorians, the Tudors, the Stuarts,...
, Susan Greenfield
Susan Greenfield
Susan Adele Greenfield, Baroness Greenfield, CBE is a British scientist, writer, broadcaster, and member of the House of Lords. Greenfield, whose specialty is the physiology of the brain, has worked to research and bring attention to Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.Greenfield is...
, Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
, Lucy Hawking
Lucy Hawking
Lucy Hawking is an English journalist and novelist. She is the daughter of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and she lives in London.-Education and career:...
, A. C. Grayling
A. C. Grayling
Anthony Clifford Grayling is a British philosopher. In 2011 he founded and became the first Master of New College of the Humanities, a private undergraduate college in London. Until June 2011, he was Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London, where he taught from 1991...
, Tony Robinson
Tony Robinson
Tony Robinson is an English actor, comedian, author, broadcaster and political campaigner. He is best known for playing Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder, and for hosting Channel 4 programmes such as Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History. Robinson is a member of the Labour Party...
and Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
.
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 HallCheltenham Town Hall
Cheltenham Town Hall is an early-20th century assembly rooms in Cheltenham, England. Unlike most town halls, it is a public venue and not the seat of the borough council, which is housed in the nearby municipal offices....
.
FameLab
FameLab® was set up in 2005 by Cheltenham Science Festival in partnership with NESTANESTA
The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts is an independent endowment in the United Kingdom established by an Act of Parliament in 1998....
with sponsorship and in-kind support from Pfizer
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
, Silicon 19, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
and The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
. In 2007 the competition was adopted by the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
as one of its flagship science engagement projects first in a South East Europe pilot and then expanding this in 2010 to include 14 across Europe, Asia and Africa. Thus FameLab has truly become a growing global phenomenon!
Themes
Celebrating the 10th Cheltenham Science Festival, the theme is 'X', "With a whole host of linked events from X-MenX-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
to X Chromosomes
X chromosome
The X chromosome is one of the two sex-determining chromosomes in many animal species, including mammals and is common in both males and females. It is a part of the XY sex-determination system and X0 sex-determination system...
" There have also been invited comedians like Robin Ince
Robin Ince
Robin Ince is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for presenting the BBC radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage .-Stand-up comedy:...
.
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
Chosen Hill School
Chosen Hill School is a large co-educational academy state school in the village of Churchdown in Gloucestershire, England, between Cheltenham and Gloucester. It is a dual specialist Technology College and Language College, and a Beacon School. The school was recently mentioned in The Daily...
, the first secondary school to ever sponsor the festival.
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
St. Louis Science Center
The Saint Louis Science Center is a collection of buildings including a science museum and planetarium in St. Louis, Missouri, on the southeastern corner of Forest Park. The Planetarium opened in 1963, and it was expanded and renamed as the Saint Louis Science Center in 1983...
, in St Louis, Missouri, USA; and is run in a similar way to the UK festival on which it is based.
New Features / Expansion
The ExperiTent was introduced this year which was used for hands-on workshops aimed at schools and families.Theme
- Other Worlds - Including developing countries, extreme environments and altered states.
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.
Theme
- Time and Space - Including exploring the cosmos, the science of ageing and the past and future of our planet.
Cheltenham Festivals
The Cheltenham Science Festival is just one of the four festivals that Cheltenham FestivalsCheltenham Festivals
]Cheltenham Festivals is a registered charity that organises four festivals every year in the spa town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: the Jazz, Science, Music and Literature. In addition to this it promotes the use of several venues for private and commercial use ]Cheltenham Festivals is a...
run each year. Combined with the Jazz
Cheltenham Jazz Festival
Cheltenham Jazz Festival is one of the UK’s leading jazz festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Science, Music and Literature Festivals that run every year.]-Introduction and history:...
, Music
Cheltenham Music Festival
The Cheltenham Music Festival is one of the oldest music festivals in Britain, held annually in Cheltenham in June/July since 1945. The festival is renowned for premieres of contemporary music, hosting over 250 music premieres as of July 2004....
and Literature
Cheltenham Literature Festival
The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, a large-scale international festival of literature in the Spa town of Cheltenham, and part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Jazz, Music and Science Festivals that run every year....
Festivals, Cheltenham Festivals
Cheltenham Festivals
]Cheltenham Festivals is a registered charity that organises four festivals every year in the spa town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: the Jazz, Science, Music and Literature. In addition to this it promotes the use of several venues for private and commercial use ]Cheltenham Festivals is a...
host over 700 events across 12 months. The four festivals have worked together to ensure Cheltenham’s
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
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)The Playhouse (Cheltenham)The Playhouse Theatre Cheltenham is a community theatre in Cheltenham, United Kingdom. It is a registered charity and has been run by volunteers since 1957.-Societies:The following companies frequently present work at The Playhouse:* Ad Hoc Theatre Co...
- Fame Lab 2011 winners - From Nature Publishing Group's team blog