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The full-scale programme of events was unveiled today for the highly anticipated Cork Carnival of Science, which takes place on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th June 2022.
Cork Carnival of Science is supported by Cork City Council and Science Foundation Ireland and organised by the Lifetime Lab @ Old Cork Waterworks.
The public are invited to explore, investigate, experiment, and discover the wonders of science throughout this 12-acre pop-up science super park from 11am to 6pm daily, with more than 45 different science-based activities to enjoy.
Festival highlights include a packed line-up of live demonstrations, Big Top seated shows, hands on workshops and family-friendly experiments. Headlining the Big Top, Little Top and Live Stage will be ‘Mark the Science Guy’ from RTE's science show ‘Let’s Find Out’, Science Magic from Belfast’s W5, Eureka from Edinburgh and Phil Smyth from Simply Science. Seated shows in the Big Top are on the half hour starting at 11.30am and the Little Top every hour from 12pm. An outdoor show taking place on ‘The River Stage’ between 12.230pm and 4.30pm will introduce Professor Plunger who is ready to show off his greatest invention yet- his hair. All live shows are approx. 35-45 minutes in duration. Also taking place throughout the day, walk about performances will pop up all around the park from Number Ninjas with Professor Tony Baloney, Dr. Ken with his Suitcase of Science, Bubbly Maths antics with Bubbles the clown and Science on Stilts by Circus 250.
A plethora of workshops and interactive stands will be mapped out along routes including ‘Exploration Avenue’, ‘Innovation Way’ and ‘Discovery Drive’.
Hands-on workshops will offer the chance try out a broad variety of science-based tasks, everything from extracting DNA, to soldering a flashing badge, checking out the inner workings of robots, making your own battery or hand sanitiser, explore mechanics and engineering through Lego, sampling computer workshops and learning about photonics.
Younger children will love the interactive dinosaur experience by Dino’s Down Under, the mini petting zoo featuring lizards, snakes, spiders, owls, frogs by Animal Roadshow, a LearnIT Lego-building station, and of course everyone will relish the chance to take a journey into space via the ‘Stardome’ inflatable planetarium by the Blackrock Castle Observatory!
Interactive stands will also be provided by leaders in the science engagement field and professional research bodies including Lifetime Lab, Analog Devices, UCC Chemistry, UCC Virtual Labs, UCC School of BEES, UCC Brainwaves, Munster Technological University, Tyndall, Fota Wildlife Park, IPIC, Calmast, APC Microbiome Ireland, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, ICRAID, Vistamilk, SSPC, Ireland’s Fossil Heritage, Lismore Heritage Education, Cork Sports Partnership and more. All the exhibitors are looking forward to encouraging more people to consider a career in science!
Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society in Science Foundation Ireland, commented: “SFI is delighted to support the Cork Carnival of Science festival which promises unique opportunities to get up close and personal with all types of science from physics to chemistry, biology and more. If you know a curious young person who loves animals, nature, outer-space, dinosaurs or magic, there will be something of interest to bring science to life. The event will also highlight the important role of women in science and hopefully inspire more girls to consider a career in research.”
New for this year, Cork City Council’s Active Zone will feature all the fun of the laws of physics with facilitated sports activities by Cork Sports Partnership, the FAI and IRFU.
Adding to the festival atmosphere at the Cork Carnival of Science will be live trad music on the Local Live Performance Stage. This is funded by the Local Live Performance Programming Scheme, supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. And with street cuisine, picnic benches, toilet facilities, a gigantic playground, extensive gardens, the Cork Public Museum and Café all on site it truly makes for the ultimate family day out!
Accessibility is a key focus to ensure enjoyment for all, and in consultation with the Deaf Community in Cork provisions have been made by Cork Carnival of Science to ensure sign language interpretation is available at live show performances and for ad hoc requests.
Make sure to get your hands on the festival brochure on arrival, which includes a colourful map of Fitzgerald’s Park with all the festival attractions laid out alongside the key what, where and when details of shows, workshops, and demonstrations to check out throughout the weekend.
For more details see www.corkcity.ie/en/old-cork-waterworks-experience/events/cork-carnival-of-science-2022.html or stay tuned to social media updates from @corkcitycouncilofficial
Full breakdown of the 45 science- based activities you won’t want to miss at Cork Carnival of Science 2022
There'll be whizzes, pops, booms, and plenty of laughter in this hilarious show featuring rockets, cannons, gravity defying stunts and much more hosted by Mark the Science Guy who is well known from his roles as TV Presenter and Celebrity Scientist on RTE's hit show 'Let's Find Out' and Explorium.
With the aid of household objects, some cooking ingredients and even a chicken W5 will show you some of their favourite science experiments. Are they magic? Or are they science? It’s up to you to decide!
Hosted by physicists Dr Stephen Davitt and Phil Smyth from RTÉ’s Home School Hub, this interactive science show gets the whole audience involved in a fun, hands-on journey and builds from basic principles to showcase science that the audience gets to try live on stage.
Steve has a new hobby. He’s a bit of an airhead. Long suffering friend Barbara wants to know more, though soon she’ll wish she’d never asked. Join them in this ridiculous adventure of nonsense, one-upmanship, and hovercrafts*. Who knows? You might even learn something along the way.
A Tardis of Experiments, amazing tricks and stunts. Science you never knew existed will appear and disappear throughout the day.
Number Ninja's is an action packed interactive and super fun activity that makes numbers trick-tastic
Real scientists, who are also stilt walkers, wander through the festival doing simple science experiments on stilts and interacting with the audiences, including science-based conversations using visual prompts.
Join Bubbles the clown for balloon and bubbly maths fun with balloon puzzles and bubble shapes Dino's
Join Dale and his crew of dinosaur handlers and journey into the past, pet some baby dino's but watch out as the big one is about!
Petting zoo featuring lizards, snakes, spiders, owls, frogs etc.
Hands on facilitated outdoor STEM activities.
Mini workshop showcasing walking paper and photonics.
An Interactive Stand showcasing the latest research by this leading European research centre
Interactive stand featuring a LEGO building station
Maths Games, Puzzles and Activities
Explore circuits and electricity to make motorised creations come to life
Use microscopes to get up and close with mini beasties from our rivers.
Scenario and Science based gaming exploring the role of STEM in everyday life
This exhibit has several hands-on activities that will show you simple steps to help protect endangered animals and the environment, including a kitchen conservation game, how long till it’s gone and much more. Aims to inspire visitors towards conservation action.
Research mini demonstration on using plants to filter agricultural water
Mini workshop with giant engineering and fantasic fairytales
Create your own flashing badges in this hands-on workshop
Large, manned science exhibits and activities
Discover the wonders of the night sky inside an giant inflatable planetarium
Mobile Classroom Unit from Bord Iascaigh Mhara
The Professor is ready to show off his greatest invention, his amazing hair! An inventive and original show featuring dancing, hair, plungers, and a bell-playing finale. The Professor is a charming old-world rogue with a little cheeky grin and a very large head of hair.
DNA Extraction activity
Make your own hand sanitiser
Saltwater Fish Tanks and Marine Activities
Make your own Battery - Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI) is an informal education project run by the School of Chemistry at Trinity College Dublin and the Atlantic Technological University, Sligo aimed at sparking conversations with schools and community groups about the science of energy storage! We want a future for everyone that is powered by efficient and sustainable energy storage, making better use of renewable energy.
Maker style activities
Remote Control Mini Robots
Facilitated Sports Activities - tug of war, bean bag race etc.
Virtual Reality Headsets
Facilitated Sports Activities - Soccer
Facilitated Sports Activities - Rugby
See you there!