The sixth edition of Science in the City – European Researchers’ Night on September 29 from 6pm until midnight promises to be the largest science and arts festival ever staged on the island, transforming Republic Street, Valletta, with highly interactive activities for visitors of all ages to explore.

Stalls and street labs at City Gate will focus on themes such as environmental issues, air monitoring, the science of transport and games as well as activities that find their inspiration in ongoing research projects in Malta.

A main attraction is an interactive moving light sculpture – and a Malta first – called Light Pushes Stuff. Scientists have found that light is capable of moving objects, which could lead to endless new applications that would change the way we communicate and travel. The public will be able to meet the researcher and artists who have turned this exciting discovery into a unique light installation just off Freedom Square.

Spazju Kreattiv at St James Cavalier will host Kids Dig Science, an exhibition entitled Transmission Interrupted by Mcast student Martina Camilleri, and a project entitled Get Your Act Together by More or Less Theatre, supported by Valletta 2018 Foundation and Malta Arts Fund of Arts Council Malta.

The Cinema Room at St James Cavalier will host a series of talks on the hour by Malta Café Scientifique, while ĊineXjenza, a series of short films, followed by discussion, will be shown by the steps leading to Spazju Kreattiv.

An NGO area in De Valette Square will include stalls set up by organisations concerned with social, environmental, scientific, artistic and historical issues.

This year, Steam will be set up in St George’s Square to give better access to the stands, and Steam Squared will host a large number of the University of Malta’s student organisations.

Greenhouse, an NGO that takes the threat on the survival of bees very seriously, will set up a series of activities to highlight the huge importance this insect has on the future of our food supplies and plant life in general.

Jazz for the Brain, the result of an unlikely collaboration between jazz players and a Maltese neuroscientist, will be staged in St Barbara church, where lights and music will display the complexity of a stroke, and the technology being used to address the condition.

Researchers will give demonstrations and explain their work along Republic Street. Along the street there will also be small stages with fire jugglers and experiments, a huge science stage, and an exhibition on the harm inflicted by plastic waste on ocean life.

The largest science and arts festival ever staged on the island

Artificial reality will bring art to life, while virtual reality will help players empathise with people with special needs. A crime hunter activity will see crimes being staged along the street, inviting witnesses to use their phone apps to report them to the authorities. There will also be facial recognition stations to track visitors’ every move, Big Brother style.

At the EU Corner to be set up outside the Meusac building in Republic Street, visitors will be able to meet researchers who have benefitted from EU funds to further their career. Those who enter the building will be able to find out about the EU’s space policy and those who go right up to the roof will be take part in the Kids in Orbit activity set up by the Institute of Space Sciences and Astronomy (ISSA).

Other stalls will feature health and dental checks, child-friendly experiments, shows and games.

Prof. Alex Felice from the University of Malta, who chairs the consortium that organises the festival, said: “This year, we wanted to focus on the future and asked the question: how does the research of today shape the society of the tomorrow?

“The theme ‘Futures’ encompasses new ways of producing and cleaning food items, the benefits of big data, new and innovative means of transport and communication, and the impact of genomics on our health.

“Scientific research is critical in shaping tomorrow’s world and we want everyone to see just how fascinating the work they do really is.”

Project manager Edward Duca said since the first edition of the festival in 2012, the aim was to communicate science and research to people of all ages. “The festival is a collaborative effort between re­searchers, academics, an ever-increasing number of student volunteers, NGOs, government agencies and artists, who together provide a very interesting range of activities that make Science in the City such a unique annual event.”

Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation Silvio Schembri said the festival was an example of how science could be an experience for everyone. “The capital city offers the ideal set-up so that science reaches people from different spheres of society. We should emphasise the importance that from a young age children learn more about science and how it is constantly present around them so that they appreciate it and understand it better. In this way this, we encourage children and youth to pursue a career in science, an essential step to help in strengthen innovation in Malta.

The festival will be officially opened on September 28 with an exhibition of research projects by a group of leading young researchers co-ordinated by Dr David Magri. Since it will be hosted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Parliament building the exhibition is called ‘Science in the House’. The exhibition is a unique opportunity for Members of Parliament to meet Maltese scientists and learn more about their research.

Science in the City is part of the EU-wide celebration called European Researchers’ Night. It is funded by the EU’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of the Horizon 2020 programme and several corporate sponsors. It is recognised by Europe for Festivals and Festivals for Europe (EFFE).

The event is organised by a consortium led by University of Malta, Malta Chamber of Scientists and the University’s Research Trust in partnership with the Education Ministry, he Parliamentary Secretariat for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation, Jugs Malta, Studio 7, Meusac, the Malta Council for Science and Technology, Esplora, Valletta local council, the Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology, PBS, Notte Bianca, Spazju Kreattiv, Pjazza Teatru Rjal, the AquaBioTech Group, the Central Bank of Malta, Wasteserv and a number of other partners.

For the festival programme and regular updates visit the website and Facebook link below.

www.scienceinthecity.org.mt

www.facebook.com/scienceinthecitymalta