Bradford Science Festival Returns

Bradford Science Festival returns from 23 May until 4 June with a programme of immersive experiences and interactive family activities ahead of the museum temporarily closing for a year-long major refurbishment.  

A highlight of Bradford’s cultural calendar and one of the most popular science festivals in the UK is returning with a 13-day packed programme of immersive experiences and interactive family activities.  

Bradford Science Festival, produced by the National Science and Media Museum, will return from Tuesday 23 May until Sunday 4 June, ahead of the museum temporarily closing for a year-long transformation.  

The festival will be themed around Vision: Seeing the Hidden World to explore how we use science and technology to see things we can’t see with the naked eye with an immersive headline commission and the return of BradLab and STEM City.  

Specially commissioned for Bradford Science Festival, festivalgoers can get involved with acclaimed choreographer Corey Baker to create the first dance in space, through an out-of-this-world immersive experience, Giant Leaps.   

Visitors can throw shapes as avatar dancers to see how they move under different gravity conditions, influencing the movements of stars, space dust and dark matter as they journey through the galaxies. Set against an immersive backdrop filmed in space, this experience will add to our understanding of how the human body might behave when dancing outside of earth's atmosphere, with the possibility of visitors' moves appearing in the European Space Agency astronauts' dance.   

Jo Quinton-Tulloch, Director of the National Science and Media Museum commented: “We are thrilled for the return of Bradford Science Festival, with an impressive programme filled with immersive experiences and interactive family activities that explore the science all around us. This year’s festival will be even more special as it will mark the culmination of a fantastic public programme ahead of the museum temporarily closing to facilitate the Sound and Vision Project, which will completely transform the museum.” 

Returning to the festival for another year is BradLab, where festivalgoers can discover the inspiring science happening in Bradford and our everyday lives with hands-on activities that explore photography, imagery, light, earth exploration and space.  

In STEM City visitors can learn about careers in science, technology, engineering and maths from members of the museum’s STEM Ambassador Trans Pennine Hub. Families will also have a chance to meet and be inspired by people working in STEM and discover routes into these careers.  

The festival will mark the pinnacle of a successful public programme as the museum enters a period of temporary closure until summer 2024 to undergo a ‘once-in-a-generation’ transformation ready to inspire millions of visitors to Bradford City of Culture in 2025 and beyond. The museum’s Pictureville Cinema will remain open throughout.  

Major changes to the museum will be delivered by December 2024, through the Sound and Vision Project, a £6 million investment, including two new galleries, a new passenger lift and improvements to the main entrance which will futureproof the museum for decades to come. 

The festival will come to an end in the museum on 4 June but will continue its programme throughout the summer with community days at local partner venues across the district. During the temporary closure period, a range of outreach activities with community groups and schools– in person and online – will enable audiences to stay in touch and track progress. 

For more information about Bradford Science Festival, please visit: www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/whats-on/bradford-science-festival  

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