Sometimes all it takes is a slightly disgusting detail for a child to ask the best question of the evening. At the MAC in Belfast, Stefan Gates has chosen mucus and earwax to talk about the human body. Elsewhere in Northern Ireland, a touring show invites families to look towards space, while an exhibition explores the instruments that made it possible to measure the island. That is the appeal of the NI Science Festival: moving from a tiny question to an entirely different scale without losing the thread of curiosity.
The NI Science Festival brings together science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. The formats vary according to the venue and audience: workshops and demonstrations for hands-on discovery, visits to explore a research site, and talks for taking an idea further. Evenings can also take the form of a show or a screening. If you are staying in Belfast, it is an opportunity to meet people working in these fields, as well as to discover the city through its cultural venues.
Rude Science 2: The Snot Thickens! is announced at the MAC, in the Cathedral Quarter, the day before the official opening. Stefan Gates draws on children’s taste for gross experiments, making the human body easier to approach than it might be through a diagram. The show is recommended for ages 5 and over. If you are travelling with French-speaking children, bear in mind the role of English in the show when choosing your event.
The Space for Everyone! tour, designed for children aged 6–12, alternates between stories, questions and audience participation. It introduces the professions that make space missions possible, even in places where you would not expect to find a connection with astronomy, such as Portadown. The tour stops in Lurgan and Newtownards, among other places: check the town before booking, as these sessions do not take place in Belfast.
In Ballyclare, the library is hosting Maps & Memories, a travelling exhibition about Ireland’s first detailed survey by the Ordnance Survey. The project looks back at the work that began at Divis Mountain, in the Belfast Hills. It is another way of approaching the landscape: before appearing on a map, its contours had to be measured in the field. The exhibition forms part of a programme that runs beyond the festival dates alone.
The first announcements provide a few useful landmarks. To find out about the other events, check the official programme as announcements are made, and check the year for each listing: the website also keeps past events. Look at the venue, recommended age and booking arrangements. If you are coming to Belfast for a weekend, choose a session in the city first, then consider adding a stop outside the centre if it fits easily into your journey.
Essential information to help you plan your visit, including key landmarks, access information, and booking options.
Belfast et plusieurs autres villes d’Irlande du Nord, Cathedral Quarter, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Tourist sites in Ireland
