The South East Science Festival is back from November 6 to 16 with an even greater selection of exciting, engaging and free events running right across the community in the region’s libraries, theatres, community centres, sports clubs, schools and college campuses.
Carlow town, Waterford city and county, Carrick-on-Suir and Clonmel in Tipperary will be a hive of scientific knowledge, innovation and fun throughout the festival and slots for the 90 plus free shows, workshops, walks, presentations, lectures and other events are booking up fast on www.calmast.ie While the events are free, pre-booking is essential as places at the majority of events are limited to enhance audience engagement and overall impact.
The theme for this year’s South East Science Festival is ‘Regeneration’. While the South East Science Festival team and guest lecturers, speakers and presenters will be busy with schools and in university campuses across the region, a growing number of key events have been added to the programme targeting an adults and the wider public across all three counties. These include walks, talks, workshops and other interesting events focusing on whiskey distilling, on the importance of CO2, the fragility and capacity of the living earth around us, the facts around climate change, 3D printing, tinkercad and coding and more.
Hosting all of the events on the 11-day programme is only made possible due to the continuous work of the CALMAST team at SETU and its outreach programme in the community throughout the year, with invaluable support from Research Ireland, Waterford City and County Council and local industry.
Among the events in Carlow of interest to the wider public are an opportunity to Print from Nature with Jean Robertson at Carlow Town Library on November 9 from 10.30am. Using a variety of leaf shapes, the artists will guide the public and regenerate an old technique to create unique framed pattern paintings. This one-hour workshop incorporates modern art with a nod to past traditions.
In keeping with the ‘Regeneration’ theme, this year’s programme includes ‘In the Company of Trees’ with Joanne Donohoe at St Catherines CSC. Sessions run on November 11 at 10am and again at 11.30am. Participants will learn the intricate nature of how our Earth works so efficiently to keep life as we know it in balance.
The Revamp Tramp Upcycling Workshop in the same venue is a 2 hour session with Marianne, the Revamp Tramp on November 14 at 11.30 and again at 7pm. She will work on a small locker, showing how to prep, prime, paint and decoupage. She will also demonstrate and talk about stencilling, uses of frog tape, distressing, glazing and many more techniques.
‘From Data to Decisions: Adapting to Climate Change’ with Professor Conor Murphy takes place at Carlow College St Patricks on November 16 at 1pm. Professor Conor Murphy plays a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of climate change through his research in hydro climatology and historical climatology. With Ireland facing unique challenges due to its geographical and climatic characteristics, Conor emphasises the critical importance of informed climate predictions for effective adaptation strategies.
Carlow audiences are also welcome to attend a separate Climate Change Panel Discussion at Carlow College the same evening at 8pm. Interest is also expected to peak for Biodiversity and Beekeeping: A Tour of St Patricks Grounds led by knowledgeable groundskeeper, Larry O’Toole. It takes place on November 15 from 11am. Discover the vibrant biodiversity areas and learn about sustainable practices, including beekeeping initiatives underway. This immersive experience will highlight the importance of cultivating an eco-friendly environment and the role of biodiversity in promoting sustainability.
The Carlow programme also includes Bison Painting children’s workshop with Coffee Granules with Jean Robertson at St Catherines CSC on November 14 from 10.15am. Children are invited to create a magnificent Bison in his natural habitat using coffee granules as paint. They will re-use old coffee pods and water to create the perfect coloured paint to re-create the Bison’s fur. Finally, they will re-purpose torn paper to design the perfect landscape for your beautiful beast to inhabit.
Dr Sheila Donegan, CALMAST Co-Founder and Co-Director said the South East Science Festival programme and theme evolves each year to meet scientific advances, topical subjects and general interest among school groups, families, adults and the wider general public. She’s proud of the mix of events for all audiences, all interests, again this year.
“Science Week is a week-long event in Ireland each November, celebrating science in our everyday lives. Science Week includes a wide variety of events involving industry, colleges, schools, libraries, teachers, researchers and students throughout Ireland.
“South East Science Festival is the regional celebration of national Science Week across Waterford, Carlow and Tipperary offering a range of opportunities for the public to engage with STEM in their own communities, with events in local pubs, libraries, community halls, theatres and more.
“Each year, the festival brings top scientists and science presenters from Ireland and abroad to local communities right across the region and this year’s events are hosted in a variety of accessible locations right across Waterford, Tipperary and Carlow. Places are limited at lots of events and we’d encourage the public to book now, secure their place,” Dr Donegan added.
- Pre-registration essential as places are limited and booking up fast
- For bookings, log on to www.calmast.ie
- Events – CALMAST