Annual Sidmouth Science Festival hailed 'success'

The festival is now 10 days long with talks, interactive displays lectures and even a giant robot which talked around the town on day one (Saturday October 8). 

On day 10 (Sunday October 16), Sidmouth ‘reached for the skies’ at the Norman Lockyer Observatory for more entertaining and informative activities around jets, flight and rockets.  

In between there has been a series of talks and workshops including a robot coding event and an environment day. They have even broken a world record for the longest tin can telephone. 

Liz Bramley, one of the organisers of Sidmouth Science Festival said: “It’s always great to see the enthusiasm of children and young people especially those who are demonstrating their own knowledge. On Super Science Saturday people went home with their bags full of things that they had made and heads full of new ideas. The domes were all open at the Observatory on the 16th enabling a new generation to see what it’s like to look at the stars. We certainly ‘Excited Curiosity’ among those who attended,”  

Local schools have benefitted from visits from the Science Festival and from tailor-made workshops.  Friday  saw a group of young people studying brainwaves on the beach with the aid of pebbles.  

This year over 2200 paper hexagons were distributed to local Primary schools. Pupils illustrated their ideas of Robots and then returned them to be stuck together for an art exhibition in Kennaway House Art Gallery.  

The results were amazing. Sidmouth College and the Youth Centre both had science magic shows which intrigued and amazed in equal measure. 

The Science Festival Team would like to thank all their sponsors without whom the Festival would not be able to take place and all the volunteers who contribute in some way, over 200 of them. 

If you would like to have a hand in the 2023 event. Contact the team on  www.sidmouthsciencefestival.org