Festival 2024

For 2024 we have another full and varied Science Festival, with once again a slight variation of our historic routine. This time we are kicking off with a family show on the Sunday before we get into the week of science filled evenings, daytime shows for schools, the return of the “science film” and of course the ever popular Science Fair on the final Saturday.

The schedule this year runs from Sunday November 10th to Saturday 16th with a set of great speakers on diverse topics, a classic film with a message which perhaps resonates particularly today, a Science Café and, following last year’s popular cheese event, more tasty science – this time beer!

On Saturday is, of course, the family oriented Science Fair from 10-4, centred on the Courthouse and, as before, with additional activities in Otley Library.

This is how Otley Science Festival 2024 looks:

As well as these public events there are our events for schools (KS1 and KS2) running Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday daytimes. Home schoolers are welcome to join these. Further details can be found on the Schools Page.

Sunday 10th November, 14.00

Adventures In Science

Join ‘The Magical Mr West’ on an incredible adventure into the world of science! Aided by his corvid companion Crowbert and a collection of curious contraptions, Mr West demonstrates the fundamental principles of scientific enquiry and tackles some of the trickiest questions in the history of humanity. 

Best known as one half of magic duo ‘Morgan & West’, ‘The Magical Mr West’ has travelled around the world performing to audiences of all ages with spectacular shows that include magic, science and a good deal of tomfoolery. Now he presents his most amazing show yet, with the help (or possibly hindrance…) of a wisecracking cartoon crow. 

Expect skills, silliness and the studious application of logic as you embark upon ‘Adventures in Science!’

Doors open 13.30. Tickets £11 / Under 16s £9 : click/tap here

Sunday 10th November, 19.30

The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)

Screened in collaboration with Otley Film Society

An alien lands in Washington, D.C. and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets.

  • Director: Robert Wise
  • Writers: Edmund H. North & Harry Bates
  • Stars: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal & Hugh Marlowe
The Day The Earth Stood Still

“It still looks wonderful for its time, the effects and designs are wonderfully composed if purposefully simple and the cinematography is exemplary. Bernard Hermann’s score is tense and wondrous, the script is deft, Robert Wise’s direction is superb and while it has some solemn philosophical aspects and some heavy-handed symbolism neither of which are flaws in any way the story is compelling from start to finish… Overall, a sci-fi masterpiece. 10/10” Bethany Cox

Tickets £6 : click/tap here

Monday 11th November, 10.30 – 12.30

Early Explorers

The science special Stay & Play session for under-fives is back, but this time at Otley Children’s Centre! Let your child investigate with their senses and explore the scientific world around them. Their sensory perception will be tested through touch, sound, sight & smell.

All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Early-Explorers-Graphic

No pre-booking necessary, this is a Science Special of the Children’s Centre’s usual ‘Stay & Play’ session.

This session is free to attend. Remember – it’s at the Children’s Centre, Cross Green Community Centre, Cross Green, Otley, LS21 1HD

Wednesday 13th November, 19.30

Science Café

As ever in Science Festival week the Science Café promises to bring its diverse menu of scientific topics delivered in bite sized chunks for your entertainment.

We will have our traditional trio of speakers, each given a quarter of an hour and plenty of time for you to ask questions and quiz them afterwards. Join us for a relaxed and fun evening of science suitable for all ages and all interests.

Full details will be on the Science Cafés page.

Tickets £6 (students in full time education free) : click/tap here

Thursday 14th November, 19.30

From Grain to Glass, The Science Behind Beer

With Ilkley Brewery

An evening of beer exploration. Ilkley Brewery has been expertly crafting beer for 15 years, and boasts a team of highly qualified technical brewers. It’s no surprise their beers consistently win national and global awards – there is a lot of science that goes into every drop, as well as passion.

To celebrate Otley Science Festival, we shall guide you through the brewing process, shining a light on our dark arts.

Brewing history goes back 1000s of years, but the process has been refined and expanded, with new techniques and ingredients developing all the time. And of course no practical science is complete without actual beer, so alongside t he learning, we will provide a selection of beers covering a variety of styles and brewing techniques. So join us, on a journey into the science of taste, and the reasons why our national drink is proudly beer.

Price includes either 1 alcoholic or 0% beer by Ilkley Brewery. More drinks (both non – and alcoholic) will be available from the bar.

Tickets £14 : tap/click here

Friday 15th November, 14.00

The Science of the Singing Voice (sold out)

Professor Dr Helena Daffern

“The Human Voice is the most beautiful instrument of all, but it is the most difficult to play” – Richard Strauss.

Every voice is unique . Beyond enabling humans to communicate uniquely through speech, your voice is also a powerful and versatile musical instrument. T o understand how the voice works we must combine knowledge of physiology, acoustics and psychoacoustics (how we perceive acoustic signals based on our hearing system and brain).

This talk will explore the complex processes involved in voice production , and how the physical and acoustic properties of the vocal system are used in different musical styles.

Live demonstrations will illuminate the intricacies of the human voice – and how different types of sound are produced and perceived. 

Analytical techniques that are used to understand the voice, including real time acoustic analysis and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, will illustrate how different styles of singing are achieved . These techniques will also reveal the physical properties of different voice types and why they require different vocal techniques and manipulations of the voice system to achieve similar goals. Amid this scientific and practical exploration of the singing voice , finally the truth will be uncovered with pro of that sopranos have the hardest job in a choir… (maybe).

Helena began singing at the age of 15 which sparked a lifelong passion for singing, especially choir singing. She went on to study a BA and MA in Music, both at the University of York. After completing her PhD in on the Science of Singing in 2008, she completed postgraduate singing training at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. She remained in London as a singer, performing as a consort singer, oratorio soloist and opera singer with companies such as Opera Holland Park and set up a teaching practice. Helena is now a Professor of Music Science and Technology in the AudioLab in the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology at the University of York. She is an advocate for interdisciplinary research associated with music, especially singing, bringing together voice science and acoustics, with practice – led singing techniques and vocal pedagogy. Her research combines the disciplines of music performance, science, and technology to investigate the singing voice and music performance.

Tickets £10 : click/tap here but we’re sorry to have to tell you this has sold out

Friday 15th, 20.00

When Antarctica Was Green: Fossil Plants Reveal Antarctica’s History

Professor Dame Jane Francis

British Antactic Survey

Director of the British Antarctic Survey since 2013, Professor Dame Jane Francis is a pioneering scientist whose study of fossil plants and their use as tools for climate interpretation is recognised internationally.

Prof Dame Jane Francis in Antarctic

Although Antarctica is now covered by ice and snow, life was very different during past warm climates 100 million years ago – Antarctica was green. Fossil plants (leaves, wood, pollen, seeds and flowers) preserved in rocks from Antarctica show that the land was once covered in lush green forests that flourished in warmer climates, even though the continent was over the South Pole. Dinosaurs lived in the forests, now preserved as fossils. 

Over millions of years the climate of the Earth cooled and ice developed on Antarctica. The land is now covered by ice sheets up to 4km thick but the ice sheets are now melting as our climate warms due to human activity. As the ice melts, sea levels are rising across the planet, impacting millions of people and cities on coastlines. Plant fossils can tell us about warm climates of Antarctica in the past and provide us with a window into life at the poles in our future warm world. 

Event suitable for adults and children 11+ years

Tickets £12 : click/tap here

Saturday 16th November, 10.00 to 16.00

Science Fair

Science Fair images

Get down to this year’s Science Fair for stalls, demonstrations and great experiments to try out. The Courthouse will be alive with local and regional groups showing off the best science Yorkshire has to offer and we anticipate there will be additional activities in Otley Library as well. From physics to biology and engineering to wildlife, there really is something for everyone!

Cakes, teas, coffees, and lunch available in the café all day.

Free event with something for everyone

Saturday 16th, 20.00

AI, Technology Evolution and Ethics

Rashik Parmar MBE

CEO of the British Computer Society

We live in a world where computer technology is everywhere, impacting almost every aspect of our lives and this year it seems we can’t escape the latest (r)evolution: “Artificial Intelligence”. But what does it mean, where is this technology taking us and who cares about how we get there?

We are delighted to have a return visit from Rashik Parmar, in his role now as Chief Executive Officer of the BCS, to have an open discussion on some of these most talked about topics of today and their implications. 

Rashik will provide a level-set introduction to Artificial Intelligence, how it is impacting the ever evolving world of technology and how the British Computer Society (BCS) is at the forefront of considering the ethical implications of this. 

We will then open up the discussion with a question and answer session where you can raise your concerns, give your views or seek more information from this top industry expert. You will be invited to submit questions in advance as well as during the evening. 

The British Computer Society, founded in 1957, now has over 70,000 members in 150 countries with an agenda to lead the IT industry through its ethical challenges, to support the people who work in the industry, and to make IT good for society. As the world’s leading IT professional body it works with a wider community of business leaders, educators, practitioners and policy-makers to progress this agenda. 

Rashik is Group Chief Executive of the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. His team are focused on the value of professional membership, promoting digital skills and computing education, and building BCS’ reputation for insight on emerging technology like Generative AI and Quantum Computing. 

As a former VP Technology for IBM, Rashik helped drive its European technical strategy with a focus on guiding companies through digital transformation. 

A Fellow of both IBM and BCS, Rashik was awarded the MBE for services to business and innovation. His portfolio includes many academic articles, notably two featured in the Harvard Business Review: “New Patterns for Innovation” in 2014 and “What is Responsible Computing” in 2023. 

Rashik is a Council Member at The Open University (OU), a Senior Independent Member and NERC Council Member at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and a Fellow at Digit Lab where he chairs their Industry Advisory Group. He serves as a Research Industry Advisory Board Member at Leeds University Business School. 

Rashik is a founding Director of Rangoli Radio, which debuted in August 2021 and has expanded its reach to encompass listeners in 165 countries, alongside its availability to the 450,000 citizens of Leeds through DAB. 

Rashik is proud to curate Sunday Sprinkles, which is ranked among the top 75 happiness blogs globally.

Tickets £12 : click/tap here

Further information and tickets:

All events, except Monday’s Early Explorers, will be held at Otley Courthouse with tickets available from the Courthouse in person and on line.

We’d really like to hear what you thought of the Science Festival as a whole, so if you have attended, or even just thought about attending, then please follow this link and give us your feedback (note: closed at the moment, will reopen closer to the event)

The address of Otley Courthouse is below.

Otley Courthouse Arts Centre
Courthouse Street
Otley
West Yorks
LS21 3AN

Phone: 01943 467466.

You can email Otley Science Festival here: info@otleysciencefestival.co.uk
or follow us on X / Twitter @otleyscience

Otley Science Festival is supported by a number of sponsors whose help enables us to put on this great event. Our thanks go to all of them.

For the record, the details of last year’s Science Festival can be found here and the 2022 Festival here. Looking further back the 2021 Science Festival is here. 2020’s Covid impacted Science Festival here and back to those innocent pre-Covid days, you can find the record of 2019’s Science Festival here

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