Festival 2025

Otley Science Festival 2025 is going to be another great week with something for everyone. As we did last year last year we will kick off on the Sunday with an exciting daytime family friendly show then run through the week with a range of evening events, a Friday matinee and the popular Science Fair on the final Saturday plus daytime schools events for KS1 and KS2 students and a supporting art exhibition running alongside.

The public events schedule this year runs from Sunday November 9th to Saturday 15th beginning with a visit from the Science Viking then evenings with famous headline speakers on the climate and creativity, a stunning and important new film from David Attenborough, a Science Café (of course!), continuing our delicious science theme with the science of wine plus a Friday matinee on blood and the terrible contamination scandal. In addition we are delighted to have a supporting art exhibition running in the Courthouse alongside the Festival.

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

Here’s the schedule for this year’s Festival:

If you would like to jump straight to a page where you can buy tickets for the shows you can find it here. Tickets for individual shows are linked in the descriptions below.

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

In the meantime you can look back to last year’s busy week here.

Sunday 9th November, 1.30pm

The Science Viking

Meet Bjarni the Science Viking and learn all about the physics of Viking weaponry.

Which is Bjarni’s favourite weapon, sword, axe or spear, and why? How does Viking armour work and what are its limitations? Are you brave enough to help Bjarni in his demonstrations, especially when he demonstrates how Viking maille works?

Afterwards, you can come and handle the weapons and examine the many replica Viking artifacts Bjarni has with him and learn all about the Science of the Vikings.

Warning: this demonstration does include graphic descriptions of early medieval battle and the injuries that can be sustained from weapons. Very young children may find the content frightening.

You can find out more about the Science Viking on his web site http://www.scienceviking.com/ or his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheScienceViking

Tickets £8 / Under 16s £6 / Family (2 adults + 2 children) £25 : click/tap here

Monday 10th November, 7pm – 9.30pm

An exhibition by numbers: Visual artists respond to writing about mathematics

Art Exhibition Opening

The launch event for this art exhibition with works by Shane Johnstone and Pete Moser which will run alongside the Science Festival.

You are invited to enjoy live music and dance, a maths workshop and chocolate tasting.

Admission By Free Ticket : click/tap here

Tuesday 11th November, 7.30pm

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

Wednesday 12th November, 7.45pm

Ocean (2025)

David Attenborough delivers his greatest message of hope in our spectacular new film, Ocean with David Attenborough.

Screened in collaboration with Otley Film society

Ocean with David Attenborough takes viewers on a breathtaking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the  ocean. In the film the celebrated broadcaster and filmmaker reveals how his lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests and the open ocean, Attenborough shares why a healthy ocean keeps the entire planet stable and flourishing.

Stunning, immersive cinematography showcases the wonder of life under the seas and exposes the realities and challenges facing our ocean as never-before-seen, from destructive fishing techniques to mass coral reef bleaching. Yet the story is one of optimism, with Attenborough pointing to inspirational stories from around the world to deliver his greatest message: the ocean can recover to a glory beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.

The film invites audiences worldwide to come together to experience Attenborough’s untold story of the ocean on the big screen. British band Coldplay have collaborated with us with ‘ONE WORLD’ from their Moon Music album featuring on the end credits.

It premiered at the Royal Festival Hall on May 6, with Sir David Attenborough and King Charles III in attendance alongside many special guests.  It was released in cinemas as a global cinema event on May 8, coinciding with Sir David Attenborough’s 99th Birthday. This was timed ahead of World Ocean Day, June’s United Nations Ocean Conference 2025 in Nice, France, and midway through the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). As world leaders decide the fate of our ocean, Ocean with David Attenborough will show why ocean recovery is vital for stabilising our climate and securing a healthier future for us all, and how marine protection – if immediately implemented – can help to turn the tide.

David Attenborough said:

“My lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Over the last hundred years, scientists and explorers have revealed remarkable new species, epic migrations and dazzling, complex ecosystems beyond anything I could have imagined as a young man. In this film, we share some of those wonderful discoveries, uncover why our ocean is in such poor health, and, perhaps most importantly, show how it can be restored to health.  This could be the moment of change. Nearly every country on Earth has just agreed, on paper, to achieve this bare minimum and protect a third of the ocean. Together, we now face the challenge of making it happen.”

Tickets £6 : click/tap here

Thursday 13th November, 7.30pm

The Science of Wine

With David Lawson WSETdip of Otley wine merchant Chez Vin

David has been the owner of Chez Vin Wine Merchant in Otley for nearly 20 years and has been in the wine trade for 38 years.

He holds a diploma with the Wine and Spirits Education Trust and while a manager for Threshers & Wine Rack was seconded to their staff training department. He hopes to bring a different spin to the science of wine in his talk in November.

Price includes a tasting sample of wine. More drinks (both non – and alcoholic) will be available from the bar.

Tickets £15 : tap/click here

Friday 14th November, 2pm

The Cost of Blood

Dr Jack Gann of the Thackray Museum of Medicine

In the 1970s and 80s, thousands of people were infected by deadly bloodborne viruses transmitted through contaminated blood products. It was only in May 2024 that an official inquiry finally delivered a verdict condemning how the government, health service and pharmaceutical companies allowed this to happen. The victims are now due billions in compensation, but many have not lived to see it.

Dr Jack Gann, curator of the Thackray Museum of Medicine’s exhibition Blood: Ties and Tensions, explores the different values we have placed on blood through history and asks you to consider what blood costs us.

Tickets £10 : click/tap here

Friday 14th, 7.30pm

A Climate of Truth: why we need it and how to get it

Professor Mike Berners-Lee

We have most of the technology we need to combat the climate crisis – and most people want to see more action. But after three decades of climate COPs, our global emissions are worse than ever. In fact, we are accelerating into a polycrisis of climate, food security, biodiversity, pollution, inequality, and more. What, exactly, has been holding us back? What will it take for us to do better?

Mike Berners-Lee consults, thinks, writes and researches on sustainability and responses to 21st century problems. He is the author of acclaimed books,  including A Climate of Truth, There is No Planet B and How Bad Are Bananas? The carbon footprint of everything. As founder and director of Small World Consulting he helps organisations of all sizes and sectors to address the challenges of the Anthropocene.

He is a professor at Lancaster University, where his research includes supply chain carbon modelling, sustainable food systems and the environmental impact of ICT. He has made numerous speaking, radio and television broadcast appearances to promote public awareness of sustainability and climate change issues.

In February 2025, he was awarded the Planet Earth Award by the Alliance of World Scientists for his work on seeking solutions to environmental challenges.

You can find more information about Mike Berners-Lee on his web site here

Tickets £12 : click/tap here

Saturday 15th 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 – more information on the Science Fair page

Saturday 15th, 20.00

The Hidden Mathematics of Knitting

Picture of Alison Kiddle

Alison Kiddle

When someone mentions knitting it’s unlikely that the first word to spring to mind is “mathematics” but fibre arts such as knitting and crochet have strands of maths woven into their fabric.

Join Alison for a journey through the history, geometry and topology of knitting, learn how crochet helped visualise complex mathematical surfaces long before 3D computer models and discover the careful computations behind beautiful knitted creations.

Alison Kiddle is a freelance mathematician, educator and communicator. They have experience in school teaching, university outreach, writing and public speaking, and have been a keen knitter since childhood. They also crochet and, more recently, machine knit on their five knitting machines.

You can find out more about Alison on her web site at alisonkiddle.co.uk/

( You may have seen that we originally publicised a session called “Blueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity” with Professor Marcus du Sautoy at this time. Unfortunately he had to cancel for family reasons but hopefully you can see that we have found a suitable, highly topically related alternative! )

Tickets £12 : click/tap here

Further information and tickets:

All events 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 Bluesky ‪@otleyscience.bsky.social‬ Instagram @otleyscience Facebook 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, the 2023 Festival 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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