Manchester Science Festival 2011

Download a pdf of the 2011 Festival programme (Adobe PDF, 5MB).

Between 22 - 31 October 2011, thousands of visitors joined us to celebrate over 150 events about science.

Brian Cox, Robin Ince and Jon Culshaw kicked off the festival with a live recording of the BBC Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage podcast at the University of Manchester. The podcast is now online to listen on the BBC Radio 4 website.

Highlights over the first weekend included the BBC Bang Goes the Theory LIVE Experience at the Upper Campfield Market in Castlefield. The presenters from the TV show entertained families with a live stage show and dozens of researchers explained, mixed and exploded science for the audience. Down the road at the RNCM another epic performance, Polar, combined documentary footage of the polar regions with a live orchestral soundtrack and was experienced by hundreds of visitors.

MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry) hosted nine packed days of hands-on activities, shows and workshops, including CSI in the labs, robots and giant origami.

Manchester Metropolitan University, The University of Manchester, The University of Salford and the University of Bolton all opened their doors to the public and organised some very successful science fairs, workshops and shows to inspire the next generation. Free kitchen science shows were also held in community venues across the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester.

A strong programme of experimental workshops, talks, debates, art exhibitions and comedy evenings made for a fun week for adults too. Helen Keen humoured a crowd of glittery space cadets at MOSI, visitors to the Royal Exchange and Debenhams got close up to Helen Storey’s embryonic development-inspired dresses, and the week finished with a life drawing class with a mind-bogglingly bendy contortionist and a super strong body builder at Dr Sketchy’s Scientific Sketchorama.