British Science Festival lands in Southampton

Southampton is about to get a bit more scientific than usual. The British Science Festival is landing here from Wednesday 16 to Sunday 20 September, and it is not the first time the city has hosted it, though it has been a long wait: the last visit was back in 1992. This year's edition is the 195th in the festival's history, and it is being put on by the University of Southampton in partnership with the British Science Association, the non-profit charity that has been running the show since 1831.

The scale of it is the first thing worth knowing. There are more than 80 free events spread across the university's campuses and a handful of city-centre venues, including Mayflower Studios, the John Hansard Gallery and Turner Sims. The programme is built around talks, hands-on workshops, performances, exhibitions and interactive experiences, so it is less of a single show and more of a week-long spread. Entry is free, but you still need a ticket, and there is an age guide to keep in mind: the recommended age is 16 and over, and children under two are not allowed.

A good place to start is the exhibition 'Inspire Change', which is led by Willmott Dixon alongside the British Science Association and the university. Its centrepiece is a large-scale sculpture made from reclaimed metal by Darren Allsopp, the Hampshire artist behind D'Sculpted, who works with 100% reclaimed metal to make pieces inspired by nature. Allsopp is self-taught and based near Romsey, and he spent 28 years as a design and technology teacher before turning to sculpting full-time. The exhibition also pulls in the public, with selected photographs and short stories on display; submissions for that closed at midday on Monday 7 September.

Beyond the sculpture, the programme leans hard into the crossover between science and the arts. 'The Ocean Remembers' brings together sound artist Jason Singh, composer Yazz Ahmed and the university's Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute for a new musical work, while 'The Skate Equation' is a public art and participation project from Skate Southampton and the university's mathematics department. At Mayflower Studios, 'Generate: Creative Responses to AI Research' stages a night of work-in-progress performances exploring the human impact of AI, and artist Luke Jerram, working with Professor Chrissie Jones, has put together a 'Clothed with protection' catwalk showcasing ten Ugandan fashion designers and the power of vaccines. Dame Wendy Hall, Regius Professor of Computer Science at the university and the new British Science Association president, gives her presidential address, 'Future AI: Reflect and debate', in conversation with BBC technology editor Zoe Kleinman.

It is worth taking in the history of the thing as well. This is one of Europe's longest-running science festivals, and over the years it has taken in everything from the debate on Darwin's theory of evolution to the first use of the word 'scientist' in 1834, with the likes of Professor Brian Cox, Professor Alice Roberts, Sir David Attenborough and Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock appearing past guests. This year is aimed at a non-specialist young adult audience, roughly 16 to 30, with a particular eye on groups underrepresented in science, though it is open to everyone. For a week, the city centre turns into a bit of a campus, so it is worth picking a few events and building a day or two around them.