Curiosity key for festival

The New Zealand International Science Festival’s associate director, Jen Smith, is preparing for...
The New Zealand International Science Festival’s associate director, Jen Smith, is preparing for this year’s 10th-anniversary event. Photo by Peter McIntosh.

The latest New Zealand International Science Festival will celebrate curiosity and the difference science makes in our lives.

The festival's recently appointed Scottish-born associate director, Jen Smith (26), is keen to promote that celebration when the Dunedin-based festival marks its 10th anniversary later this year.

She is a sculptor and has a BA (Hons) in fine arts and design from the University of Dundee.

She has recently organised some science-related events, including an art-meets-science photographic show, at the Dundee Science Festival in Scotland.

Mrs Smith said some people viewed arts and science as completely separate, but she believed they were actually more closely connected.

Science should be "something that everyone can interact with - it affects all of us'', she said.

A key common factor between science and humanities subjects was curiosity -"it's an innate part of all of us''.

"We want to remind festival-goers of their own natural curiosity as we encourage them to search for the extraordinary in the everyday,'' she said.

Organisers said the upcoming festival, to be held on July 8-16, would feature an exciting line-up of public events.

These would range from street science and stunts to debates, interactive demonstrations and workshops with science innovators.

Inspiring international and local guests would also be participating, organisers said.

Festival director Chris Green wants the latest festival to "encourage people to keep asking questions, to remember how it felt as a kid to explore and discover''.

"We want to inspire festival-goers to look at the world in a new way,'' he said.

The festival programme will be announced in late May and tickets will go on sale in early June.

john.gibb@odt.co.nz

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