· NEW EVENTS ADDED: the British Science Festival reveals an extra evening of fun free events, adding an entire night of sport-themed activities to this year's line-up
· Dance classes, debut performances and lots of food and drinks will celebrate Coventry's title as European City of Sport 2019
The British Science Association (BSA) and the University of Warwick have today (12 August 2019) announced an extra evening of events at British Science Festival. Late night fitness: raising the bar will take place on Wednesday 11 September in a free takeover of the Sports and Wellness Hub on campus at the University of Warwick.
Highlights include:
· Stunt training: do you have what it takes?
Hollywood stuntman Jack Jagodka will put visitors through their paces to see if they could make it as a stunt person on the big screen.
· Chasing elite cheats
The chief investigator at the heart of the infamous Russian doping scandal reveals all in this first-hand account of one of sport's biggest ever enquiries.
· Love life of the sea slug
See this intimate, debut performance from artist Emily Scaife, in collaboration with Flatpack Festival, which uses stunning audio and visuals to explore the unusual mating behaviour of sea slugs.
· Get up and dance
Learn the art of Persian dance with dancer/choreographer Shahrzad Khorsandi and dancer/psychologist Julia F Christensen.
· Underwater orca-stra
Unleash your inner Jacques Cousteau and dive into the pool to listen in to the sounds of whales, as they may sound in the sea.
Whether you're raring to unleash your inner Olympian, or just want to chill out and take in the good vibes on the veranda with food and friends, there's something for everyone. The full line-up for Late night fitness: raising the bar can be seen here: britishsciencefestival.org/event/late-night-fitness-raising-the-bar
These events join over a hundred others throughout the week, including Tackling food poverty with celebrity chef Jack Monroe, The Sky at Night: Question Time, Perfect Bodies with Professor Alice Roberts and In Conversation with Konnie Huq.
British Science Festival Director, Ivvet Modinou, said: "We're delighted to add this evening of sport-themed events to the Festival's stellar line-up, giving the people of Coventry and Warwickshire a whole new way to engage with science through their hobbies and interests.
"We've curated the programme so that all tastes and interests are catered for. Visitors will have the chance to hear whale noises while submerged in the pool, find out how to improve their cycling performance, and have a go at Persian dancing, amongst many other free activities. We look forward to welcoming everyone to this event and others at the 2019 British Science Festival."
Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Director of Sport & Active Communities at the University of Warwick, said: "This is a great opportunity for our local community to learn some fascinating science, while experiencing the world-class facilities of our newly opened Sport and Wellness Hub. The Hub plays a central role in our goal of being the most active campus community in the UK by 2020 and there will be plenty here to inspire you to try something new, or just to learn something you never knew about your own health and wellbeing."
Each year, the British Science Festival brings a diverse programme of over a hundred talks, debates, performances and activities to a different host city and region. Between Tuesday 10 and Friday 13 September 2019, the public will be able to attend events across the city of Coventry and on the University of Warwick campus, all for free. It will be immediately followed by a Family Day on the University of Warwick campus on Saturday 14 September.
The British Science Festival's visit to the region is being strongly supported by industry leaders including Cadent, Jaguar Land Rover, Lubrizol, CityFibre, Vodafone Gigafast Broadband and the regional Local Enterprise Partnerships, Coventry & Warwickshire LEP and Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP.
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1. About the British Science Festival
The British Science Festival is one of Europe's largest science festivals and regularly attracts hundreds of the UK's top scientists and speakers to discuss the latest developments in science with the public.
Working in partnership with the University of Warwick and other organisations in the Coventry and Warwickshire region, the Festival will entertain an audience of non-specialist adults with a broad interest in science, delivering 100 specially curated events. Over 15,000 visitors attend the talks, workshops, performances and activities.
The Festival has been the stage for many iconic moments in history – such as the famous debate on Darwin's controversial theory of evolution between Thomas Huxley and the Bishop of Oxford in 1860. It also saw the first use of the word 'scientist,' in 1834. The origins of the Festival, previously known as the annual meeting, can be traced back to York, in 1831.
The Festival takes place at a different location each year. The 2019 Festival will take place from 10 – 13 September, hosted by the University of Warwick.
