Prestigious British Science Festival is heading to Exeter

Published: 23 May 2023

The prestigious British Science Festival will be held in Exeter over four days in September.

Organised by the British Science Association (BSA), Europe’s longest standing science festival travels to a different place in the UK each year and celebrates the people, stories and ideas at the heart of science.

The British Science Festival 2023 will be hosted by the University of Exeter. The festival will be held between Thursday 7 and Sunday 10 September, with events being held on the University’s campus, as well as at venues across the city.

There will be a host of free activities including talks, workshops and drop-in events on offer for visitors from Exeter and beyond to attend.

Celebrating the 192nd anniversary of the festival, and working in partnership with the University, the BSA will bring its flagship event to the South West for the first time since 2004, when it was last hosted by the University of Exeter.

The British Science Festival is one of Europe’s longest-established science festivals, which travels to a different part of the UK each year. It brings science to the wider public in the form of installations, exhibitions, talks, panel discussions, performances and more.

Hannah Russell, Chief Executive of the British Science Association, said: “We’re really looking forward to bringing the British Science Festival to the South West in 2023.

“The University of Exeter’s commitment to public engagement and pioneering work in climate and environmental science will make for some exciting events on the programme, and we look forward to welcoming and inspiring visitors from the city, the region and beyond.

“The University’s community partnerships will play a significant role in the Festival’s development and legacy, something that chimes strongly with the BSA’s mission to make science more relevant, representative and connected to society and the festival’s ethos.”

Professor Lisa Roberts, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Exeter, said: “We are absolutely delighted to host the British Science Festival 2023 in Exeter.

“At the University of Exeter we believe in the power of science and knowledge to change lives and communities for the better. We will focus on showcasing how research can help provide solutions to the biggest challenges of our time.

“Our aim will be to engage and excite people of all ages in cutting edge research and put on a festival of science that is accessible and inspiring for people across the South West, the UK and the world. Working in partnership is in our DNA and we look forward to collaborating across our community to deliver an outstanding British Science Festival programme.”

Each year, the British Science Association provides grants of £500 to community groups/organisations in the host festival city that work directly with audiences who are traditionally underrepresented and currently not engaged in science activity.

The aim is to empower and support community groups to run their own science activities as part of the British Science Festival, enabling new local audiences to engage with science.

For more information visit the festival website University of Exeter to host British Science Festival 2023 | British Science Festival.

The BSA also has a number of vacancies associated with the festival. For more details visit   https://www.britishscienceassociation.org/current-vacancies-at-the-bsa