Brighton is to host the British Science Festival next year for the first time in over 20 years.
The annual event will be hosted by Brighton University and Sussex University from Tuesday 5 September to Saturday 9 September.
It is organised by the British Science Association and is one of Europe’s leading and longest-established science festivals.
The association said: “There will be over 100 events, specially curated by the BSA in partnership with the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex.
“Visitors should expect to find talks, debates, workshops and performances about cutting-edge science from world-leading academics.
“Topics will cover the whole scientific spectrum including technology, engineering and social sciences.”
Brighton University vice-chancellor Debra Humphris said: “I am delighted that the University of Brighton will be co-hosting the British Science Festival next year.
“We were keen to grasp this wonderful opportunity to showcase our world-leading research alongside cutting-edge science from around the globe in an accessible and engaging way.”
Professor Humphris added: “The city of Brighton and Hove is world-renowned for its art festival.
“By hosting the British Science Festival, we can throw open the doors of our facilities to the wider community, including our new state-of-the-art Advanced Engineering Building that is currently under construction.”
Sussex University pro-vice-chancellor for research Michael Davies said: “We are thrilled to welcome the festival back to our city. Many staff still connected to the University of Sussex remember fondly the impact of the event when we hosted it back in 1983.
“The ethos of scientific teaching, learning and research at Sussex hasn’t changed since then – we are as passionate today about cutting-edge innovation that spans across the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines to address themes, such as neuroscience, digital humanities and sustainability.”
Professor Davies added: “Collaboration sits at the heart of our approach to scientific discovery and impact through combining disciplines, working with a wide range of partners and most importantly engaging and encouraging brilliant minds to be involved.
“We look forward to a fantastic festival in September 2017.”
The British Science Association’s head of engagement Ivvet Modinou said: “We are delighted to bring the British Science Festival to Brighton next year.
“It will be different from the previous festivals we have run, in that it is being co-hosted by two amazing universities and will take place in venues all over the city over the course of five days.
“As with our 2016 hosts, Swansea, we will be right next to the beach, which will add an extra element for programming and creating some unique experiences for our visitors.”
The event was first held as the inaugural and then annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1831.
Since then the festival has been the stage for some key moments in history – such as the famous debate on Darwin’s then 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 annual meeting has been held in Brighton three times before – in 1872, 1948 and 1983.
For more information about the festival, click here.
