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Bringing geology to Glastonbury

4 September 2023

The Science Futures area at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. Image: © Glastonbury Festival

The Outreach and Engagement Team were extremely proud to bring geology to the Science Futures area of the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts once again this year!

The Science Futures area of the festival was composed of stages and smaller venues residing in hedgerows and underground, under canopies, and in the forest. Powered by renewable energy, Science Futures provided a calm and peaceful retreat that called on visitors to look at the science behind the headlines, and meet the researchers working for a brighter future for all life on Earth.

The Science Futures area was composed of The Laboratory (innovative demonstrations, science-based performance art, and impromptu open-mic sessions with scientist performers), The Sound Canopy (a relaxing area to listen to the sounds of science and journey from deep underground to a galaxy far away), Science, Not Fiction (an outdoor exhibition of the art in science), as well as The Futurarium (a circus tent full of interactive exhibits and activities), where we spent five days speaking with thousands of festival goers, giving them a glimpse of how geoscience is a crucial part of the ‘science of the future’.

With a focus on energy for a sustainable future, we invited visitors to explore the minerals, materials and metals that make electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines, and mobile phones. We encouraged people to develop a connection with the Earth materials that modern and sustainable life is powered from.

A ‘pet rock’ at the festival. Image: © Murray Pettit

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