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A F E S T I VA L I N S P I R E D B Y SIR ISAAC NEWTON C E L E B R AT I N G T H E 3 5 0 T H ANNIVERSARY OF HIS YEAR OF WONDERS
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ISWS N N MS TO TIO
T Y’ A N DAORM O R DATU NSF S
T OU T GH 20 I N D US AN O I 9 EN S 1 G A IN GE R T SEE PA
Box office: 01476 406158 www.gravityfields.co.uk
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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Welcome!
2016 is the 350th anniversary of Newton’s ‘Year of Wonders’ - his Annus Mirabilis - when, because of the plague, he returned from Cambridge to Woolsthorpe Manor and made massive scientific advances in maths, light and gravitational forces.
About the festival 350 years on from 1666 the Gravity Fields Festival 2016 celebrates Newton’s scientific achievements with a new festival venue at his family home Woolsthorpe Manor and many of our speakers taking inspiration from the theme of Genius. We also look at the world surrounding Newton and his contemporaries, particularly Samuel Pepys and his writings on the Plague. While our science events feature excellence, we take a lighter hearted look at the Ingenious in our creative and artistic outdoor events. We are delighted to welcome The Royal Society for a series of talks, including a visit from the President Sir Venki Ramakrishnan. We look to the future with a wide programme of activities for schools and our next generation of scientists, exploring the universe with women astronomers and looking ahead to the Next Big Thing. Closer to home we learn about another Lincolnshire
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genius, Sir Joseph Banks, also President of the Royal, Society, explorer and one of the founders of Kew Gardens.
Something for everyone ...
We look forward to seeing you at the festival in September.
• Cirque Bijou international artists transforming Grantham
Festival Curator: Rosemary Richards with Co-Curator Dr Harry Cliff (science) and Jeremy James (outdoor arts).
Highlights include:
• Sir Venki Ramakrishnan President of the Royal Society • An evening with TV presenter Dallas Campbell
Festival organisers and indoor arts producers: South Kesteven District Council Guildhall Arts Centre
• Aerial spectacular with Ockham’s Razor
Festival Patrons Professor Valerie Gibson Dallas Campbell Professor Rob Iliffe
• Newton’s Top 10 Professor Valerie Gibson
Funders and Partners Arts Council England South Kesteven District Council Institute of Physics National Trust The Royal Society
• Genius Engineers of WW2 - Dr Hugh Hunt
• Top Spanish creative company Ponten Pie
Events th PRIORY RUSKIN SCIENCE PREVIEW Thurs 15 and Fri 16 September The Priory Ruskin Academy joins in to host a two day Science Extravaganza preview for Grantham’s Year 5 pupils. Grab an opportunity to experience three sciences including looking inside a heart, building rockets and carrying out chemical reactions. Pupils will be invited through their schools. Contact Priory Ruskin Academy on 01476 410410
• Science of Doctor Who
... and the plague comes to Woolsthorpe! Plus: a wide range of expert speakers, a Saturday night spectacular... and an exciting education programme including The Ministry of Science.
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
E OR MOR 5 R O F BOOK TS AND N E V E L FESTIVA
F F O 2 £ GET ICKET EACH T
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hrough the festival...
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sound like above Newton’s old home - and what did Joanna discover? See links with From Newton’s Light (pg 5)
EXHIBITIONS
Immersive exhibitions, installations and events Wed 21-Sun 25 Sept 10am – 8pm (except Speaking Tubes Sat 24 Sept 10am - 6pm) FREE ENTRY
SPEAKING TUBES - IOU ALIVE CHURCH
ANTI GRAV BOX ABBEY GARDENS Step into a room like no other and have your world turned upside down! A unique opportunity to experience life where the rules of gravity have changed completely... and while you’re in there your friends (and everyone else) can see the results on a screen outside! Supported by Khaos Control
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A sculptural sound installation inspired by the extraordinary sound of vortex rings travelling through the atmosphere at supersonic speed with gleaming steel tubes and giant cones spilling out a chorus of sound. A specially commissioned soundtrack by international contemporary music composer Yannis Kyriakides offering audiences their own sound journey with specially created 3D pictures and animations - invisible until uncovered using smartphones and tablets which are provided.
PROJECT SKY CUBE JOANNA WHITE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, STUDIO 1 A creative sound and visual installation exploring Isaac Newton’s ideas of the ether recorded from Joanna’s microlight aircraft. This artistic interpretation of the ether is supported by specially programmed science talks from the University of Lincoln – in particular from Newton’s Light to Electromagnetic Waves (Prof Andrei Zvelindovsky). A one kilometre cube of air becomes a layered audio soundscape of the electromagnetic wave spectrum from ground level to 3,300ft above Sir Isaac Newton’s birthplace at Woolsthorpe Manor. What does today’s digital ether look and
SOLARGRAPH EXHIBITION
GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, NEWTON ROOM Come and see an extraordinary and beautiful selection of special pictures taken all over Grantham and beyond by local artist Kelly Barfoot. A series of simple pin-hole cameras positioned for several months produces extraordinary results showing the sun’s journey across the sky. Newton used pin hole apparatus in his experiments with prisms and refracted white light.
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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experts and actors in role. Plague Days is presented by Greenwich and Lewisham Young People’s Theatre with a local cast. Originally commissioned by the National Maritime Museum alongside the 2015 Samuel Pepys Exhibition. 9.45AM TO 12NOON
PLAGUE DAYS SCHOOLS EVENT WOOLSTHORPE MANOR ALSO THURS 22 AND FRI 23 SEPT 9.45AM TO 12 NOON It’s the long hot summer of 1665 and the Plague has driven many out of the cities. A young Isaac Newton is one of those seeking the safety of his home at Woolsthorpe….. All is not safe, however, as plague victims begin to spread like the fleas and rats that spread the disease itself. Experience the Plague up close and dangerous. Wash your hands and cover your mouth as the poor sickening wretches of London will be coughing and spluttering through Woolsthorpe Manor. Meet the body collectors, the Charlatan Quacks with bird masks. Is that just a spot or something a little nastier? A dreaded bubo! Re-live the plague as it happened and learn first hand what those times were like from
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Suitable for ages 7 to 11 £4 PER STUDENT (free teacher place for every 10 tickets booked) 10.30AM TO 12NOON OR 1PM TO 2.30PM
SCHOOLS PIN HOLE CAMERA WORKSHOPS GRANTHAM MUSEUM ALSO THURS 21 AND FRI 23 SEPT. FAMILY WORKSHOP SAT 24 SEPT Explore the world of pinhole photography and create inspirational images without the use of lenses or digital media. See the principles behind the old camera obscura and the science behind silver halide negative images. Test the science as student groups have the opportunity to create their own negative photographs. Run by staff and students of Grantham College.
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ALEX THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS ALEX BELLOS A Royal Society Event WOOLSTHORPE MANOR
From triangles, rotations and power laws, to fractals, cones and curves, bestselling author Alex Bellos invites you on a journey of mathematical discovery with his signature wit, engaging stories and limitless enthusiasm. As he narrates a series of eyeopening encounters with lively personalities all over the world, Alex demonstrates how numbers have come to be our friends, are fascinating and extremely accessible, and how they have changed our world. Suitable for age 14+ £4 (£3)
Suitable for ages 7 - 11 £3 PER STUDENT (free teacher places)
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
1.30PM School Show 6.30PM Family Show
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE MERES LEISURE CENTRE There’s a scientist, engineer or inventor in all of you! Watch this extraordinary science show - coming with a bang, a whoosh and most of all with a hovercraft built on stage. Oh, and a human cannon too! This highly entertaining new production comes from a completely different direction to look at the inventors and engineers who have shaped and inspired the modern world. We are talking liquid nitrogen frozen flowers to hydrogen bottle rockets, Buzz Aldrin to Virgin Galactic, a cat food tin to the hovercraft and the discovery of methane to the
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2.30PM
4PM
THE DIVIDED LIFE OF BRUNO PONTECORVO: PHYSICIST OR SPY?
FROM NEWTON’S LIGHT TO ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES:
HALF LIFE
invention of the battery. Join the super talented presenters with the voiceover of X Factor’s Peter Dickson on a journey using brilliantly designed demonstrations with a few loud bangs to lead the way. Fingers in ears advised.... School Show Suitable for ages 7 to 14 1hr - no interval £9 per student with free teacher places for every 10 tickets booked Family Show Suitable for everyone age 7 + Approx 2hrs with interval £12 (£10) £38 FAMILY OF FOUR
PROFESSOR FRANK CLOSE WOOLSTHORPE MANOR Bruno Pontecorvo was the father of neutrino astronomy and a brilliant nuclear physicist who disappeared through the Iron Curtain at the height of the Cold War. Why did he flee so suddenly, was he a brilliant spy as well as a physicist, and what secrets did he take with him to the Soviet Union? Professor Frank Close of Oxford University tells the story, from his new book Half Life and reveals the role of the infamous traitor Kim Philby in the affair. Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5)
A PATH TO ENLIGHTENING PROFESSOR ANDREI ZVELINDOVSKY WOOLSTHORPE MANOR Andrei Zvelindovsky is the founding head of the School of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Lincoln, and has researched the interface between mathematics and physics. His talk describes ideas of light, from Newton’s concept of colour to the modern description of electromagnetic waves and their multiple applications. Adds a scientific understanding to the Project Sky Cube installation. Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5)
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EINSTEIN’S UNIVERSE PROFESSOR BRIAN FOSTER JACK LIEBECK A Royal Society Event KING’S SCHOOL, OLD HALL (ENTER FROM CHURCH STREET)
Professor Foster of Oxford University and violinist Jack Liebeck collaborate to highlight Einstein’s science and his love of the violin. Einstein’s Universe explores his scientific work on quantum mechanics with an introduction to his life and involvement with music and how his ideas have shaped our concepts of space, time and the evolution of the Universe. Musical accompaniment is from J.S. Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, some of Einstein’s favourite music and punctuated by other musical interludes. Suitable for age 14+ £8 (£6)
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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THE CAVENDISH LABORATORY DINNER ANGEL AND ROYAL HOTEL
6.30PM
OCKHAM’S RAZOR – TRIPLE BILL ST WULFRAM’S CHURCH ALSO THURS 22 SEPT 1.30PM FRI 23 SEPT 7.30PM SAT 24 SEPT 1PM This critically acclaimed aerial theatre company specialises in creating physical theatre on new pieces of aerial equipment with a fantastic triple bill including three dynamic and touching pieces. Every Action is inspired by Newton’s law of motion in a playful look at bonds formed when people are thrown together. “It is exquisite” The Stage. Produced by Turtle Key Arts Suitable for all ages 6 + £12 (£10) £5 CHILDREN
Cambridge’s world famous Cavendish Laboratory and its legendary scientific dinners will be re-staged in the company of leading scientists, great food, dazzling science and spirited singing. In the early 20th century the Lab was the centre of the physics world as its scientists unlocked the secrets of matter, broke atoms to bits and stormed the atomic nucleus. Once a year research students held a boisterous dinner, inviting the Professor, a Nobel Prize winner or two, and sang spirited versions of rewritten popular songs. Enjoy a three course meal inspired by menus of the 20s and 30s, hear Cavendish hits such as Ions-Mine and Atomic Love Story. Discover the history of Britain’s greatest physics laboratory with special guest Professor Jeff Hughes from the University of Manchester. Hosted by festival patron Professor Valerie Gibson and Co-Curator Dr Harry Cliff, both of the Cavendish Laboratory. £30. THREE COURSE MEAL AND WELCOME DRINK BOOK BY 19 SEPT
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Photograph: Dani Bower
7.30PM
8.30PM
‘ULYSSES UNBOUND’ & ‘THE STACKED DECK’ CHANTRY DANCE COMPANY GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE ALSO THURS 22 SEPT 7.30PM STAMFORD ARTS CENTRE Two compelling, contrasting pieces in one evening… Ulysses Unbound. Imagine, the last astronaut has left a dying earth in search of a new home. In a thrilling cascade of stunning characters, costumes and imagery, he witnesses the birth of a new star and finds himself on an alien world. This extraordinary ballet combines an exciting original soundtrack with contemporary ballet danced by an exceptional
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
international cast with dance choreography interpreting cosmic events from the evolution of a star to the formation of a deadly black hole. The Stacked Deck Life is a harsh game, sometimes difficult to win with the hand you’re dealt. But is it actually about how we play the game? Inspired by the concept of Game Theory and the theme of equality, ‘The Stacked Deck’ is a contemporary ballet based on a combative game of cards which four players are all desperate to win. Intense, raw and gripping, this ballet challenges us to look at how we all play the ‘game’. Post show talk. There will be a curtain-raiser performance from the award-winners of CDC’s young choreographers Celebration 2016. www. chantrydancecompany.org £12 (£10) £8.50 SCHOOLS
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9.45AM TO 12NOON
AT RPEERFPOREMANCE
PLAGUE MORNINGS AT WOOLSTHORPE FOR SCHOOLS See page 4 for full details.
and benefit from ongoing mentoring support. Your pupils could find themselves at the The Royal Society final, where the winning teams are invited to Buckingham Palace. £3 per student Morning session - ages 1116. Afternoon - ages 17-18. Limited places - book early! Free teacher places.
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3, 4, and 5, with an open invitation to all secondary school science students but a special encouragement to young women interested in science. Two talks and the opportunity for students to engage with astronomy activities. (Please specify key stage when booking) Presenters include Dr Jen Gupta, astrophysicist and science communicator.
The discovery that genes are made of DNA, the realisation that this contains information, and the suggestion that genes contain a code all took place in 1943. Professor Matthew Cobb explains the surprising interconnections between these ideas, culminating in Watson and Crick’s hypothesis that the structure of DNA contains a genetic code.
£3 per student - free teacher places.
Suitable for age 14+ £4 (£3)
10.30AM - 12NOON OR 1PM - 2.30PM
10AM AND 1PM
TEENTECH INNOVATION SCHOOLS WORKSHOPS MERES LEISURE CENTRE Can you make life better, simpler or easier? These amazing workshops will help students understand prototype ideas which they then develop for the TeenTech Awards. Two app and game designers, Ali and Liz, share their own experiences of turning great ideas into reality. Students work in small teams and will be encouraged to take their best ideas forward into the Award programme
10AM - 12.30PM
ASTRONOMY AND SPACE
Speakers including Dr Jen Gupta and women astronomers from the Universtity of Birmingham GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE Want to know more about black holes, gravitational waves, gamma ray bursts and cosmology? Join us for a morning of talks and astronomy activity sessions led by women astronomers from around the UK. Targeted at Key Stages
PIN HOLE CAMERA WORKSHOPS FOR SCHOOLS
GRANTHAM MUSEUM See page 4 for full details.
AT RPEERFPOREMANCE 1.30PM
OCKHAM’S RAZOR – TRIPLE BILL ST WULFRAM’S CHURCH
1PM
SCHOOLS SHOW
LIFE’S GREATEST SECRET
Ockham’s Razor is a critically acclaimed aerial theatre company, specialising in creating physical theatre on new pieces of aerial equipment. Q&A after the show with the creative team.
PROFESSOR MATTHEW COBB A Royal Society Event WOOLSTHORPE MANOR Every day, school students all over the planet learn that genes contain information, but where does that information come from?
Suitable for ages 6 + £12 (£10) £5 SCHOOLS See page 6 for full details.
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF NANO DR MIKE FAY WOOLSTHORPE MANOR A brief history of nanotechnology - the study of a world so small, we can’t see it - and where we are now. Hear the fascinating story that includes scientists, futurologists, hucksters, terrorists, politicians, the media, and everyone else. How much is the reality swamped by Hollywood plot devices, and what does it tell us about the link between science and the public? Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5)
4.15PM
HOW TO BECOME A GENIUS DR MICHAEL MOSLEY WOOLSTHORPE MANOR
to connect the dots. Hear how Galileo, a middle aged maths lecturer with several illegitimate children, had his big breakthrough thanks to the arrival of a Dutchman in Venice with a crude telescope and the fact that Venice is the best place in the world to cast glass. Michael Mosley is a science presenter and journalist. Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5) FROM 5PM
THE SCIENCE OF THE SPEAKING TUBES DR TAIMOR ASIM AND DAVID WHEELER ALIVE CHURCH Dr Asim, Research Fellow at the University of Huddersfield’s Energy, Emissions and the Environment research group, talks about the science of IOU’s Speaking Tubes installation and lets you into some secrets behind this fascinating exhibition with IOU’s artistic director David Wheeler. FREE
6.15PM
FANTASTIC VOYAGE (U) GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE
5PM
EXPLORING THE MOLECULAR MACHINES
1hr 36mins FILM ONLY £5
WITHIN A FANTASTIC VOYAGE
THE MOVEABLE FEAST
DR DANILO ROCCATANO
ORGANISED BY THE CIVIC SOCIETY
GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE
A mystery tour of Grantham’s restaurants......enjoy your starter in one, main course in a second and your dessert in a third restaurant. Discover culinary delights from some of the best restaurants in town. Itinerary announced as the evening progresses. Meet at the Angel and Royal Hotel for a complimentary drinks reception at 6.30pm. You will visit the Eden Wine Bar, the New Era restaurant, Pizza Express and the Angel & Royal for your various courses, but not necessarily in that order!
The plot of the 1966 SciFi movie ‘Fantastic Voyage’ is based on the exploration of the human body with a cell sized submarine. Join us to understand the next step in this fantastic voyage to explore the nuts and bolts of our cells where we discover that machines similar to those used in daily life are actually within us and nowadays studied using the same basic physics discovered by Isaac Newton. TALK AND FILM TICKET £7 TALK ONLY £5 FILM ONLY £5
Often being seen as a genius is about being in the right place and at the right time
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A special screening of the 1966 film ‘Fantastic Voyage’ to go with the 5pm talk by Danilo Roccitano.
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
6.30PM
Meet at the Angel and Royal Hotel £28 IN ADVANCE BOOK BY 20 SEPT
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HT LATE NCIOG MEDY SCIENCE
8PM 7.30PM
THE OLD DOGG AT THE MINT
VIVA BAROQUE!
GRANTHAM DRAMATIC SOCIETY
RED PRIEST ST WULFRAM’S CHURCH Piers Adams – recorders Adam Summerhayes – violin Angela East – cello David Wright – harpsichord From its origins as a young cutting-edge baroque band in the 1990s, Red Priest has grown to be an established and exciting part of today’s musical landscape. They wow audiences in all corners of the globe with inventive, high-spirited, rule-breaking interpretation of the music of the 17th and 18th centuries. Viva Baroque is a concert of music echoing Newton’s time. Expect music by Vivaldi, Bach and Handel as well as a few unsung baroque heroes in an evening of musical brilliance with a modern twist. £12 (£10) Supported by Chattertons
8PM
THE SCIENTIFIC SECRETS OF DOCTOR WHO
KING’S SCHOOL, OLD HALL
DR MAREK KUKULA SIMON GUERRIER
ALSO FRI 23 SEPT 8PM
GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, BALLROOM
(ENTER FROM CHURCH STREET)
The world premiere of a new play tracing Isaac Newton’s time at the Royal Mint. It’s 1699. England’s currency is in crisis and Newton is lured to London to become Warden of the Royal Mint, only to find himself thrown into a criminal underworld. It tells of Newton’s struggles with clippers and counterfeiters, goldsmiths and monarchs, bounty hunters and economists. Performances in the very room in which Newton went to school. Written by members of Grantham Dramatic Society with playwright Andy Barrett, as part of the 2014 Lincolnshire’s Age of Scientific Discovery project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
ALSO AT STAMFORD ARTS CENTRE ON FRI 23 SEPT 7.30PM Simon and Marek are coauthors of ‘The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who’. Don’t miss their illustrated talk using clips from the TV show, showing how Doctor Who uses science in its unique storytelling – and just how close it has often come to predicting future scientific discoveries. Dr Marek Kukula is Public Astronomer, Royal Observatory Greenwich, Royal Museums Greenwich and regularly appears on TV and radio. Simon Guerrier, science fiction author and dramatist.
9.30PM
PUNK SCIENCE
BRAINY AND BARMY SCIENCE COMEDIANS FROM LONDON’S SCIENCE MUSEUM GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE Join the Punk Science team at this unique and delightful hybrid of science and comedy, the likes of which you won’t have seen before! As well as demonstrations of remarkable scientific concepts and brand new theories, you’ll get barmy, award-winning comedians thrown in who are hell-bent on putting the fun into fundamental physics. Suitable for age 16 + £10 (£8)
£8 (£6)
£6 (£5)
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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SCHOOLS DISCOVERY DAY
OUT
9.45AM TO 12NOON
PLAGUE MORNINGS AT WOOLSTHORPE FOR SCHOOLS See page 4 for full details.
AT RPEERFPOREMANCE 10.30AM - 12NOON OR 1PM - 2.30PM
PIN HOLE CAMERA WORKSHOPS FOR SCHOOLS
GRANTHAM MUSEUM
See page 4 for full details.
10AM
11AM
DARREN PRITCHARD
THE ROYAL SOCIETY WOMEN SCIENTISTS’ DEBATE
BODY OF LIGHT FOR LITTLE ONES! GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, BALLROOM ALSO ON FRI 23 SEPT 5.30PM, SAT 24 SEPT 10.30AM & 12.30PM Light, technology and dance combine in this show for people big and small alike! Enjoy a fusion of dance and technology as choreography and electronic sounds work in tandem in this presentation by Darren Pritchard. Get involved in a special ‘Stay & Play’ workshop afterwards. Toddlers sessions suitable ages 2 to 5. All other performances age 3 plus and families
NEXT BIG THING
DR LIBBY GIBSON, DR LAUREN GUILLETTE AND OTHER PANELLISTS GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE Three leading Royal Society research fellows present their work in astrophysics, photochemistry and animal psychology and discuss their thoughts on the current state of UK research, women in science and hopes for the future. £5 (£4)
£3 PER PARTICIPANT
1PM
THE AWESOME TRUTH ABOUT RAINBOWS DR DAVID FAIRHURST WOOLSTHORPE MANOR Who doesn’t love a rainbow but what’s the science behind them? Dr David Fairhurst is an inspirational senior physics lecturer at Nottingham Trent University and an accomplished researcher in the behaviour of liquid droplets. Join him in burning chemicals, spraying vodka, and tracking ants to explore the fascinating science behind rainbows. The lecture will be packed with rainbow-related science and philosophical debate. Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5)
12.30PM - 2.30PM
SCIENTIFIC GLASSBLOWING ST WULFRAM’S CHURCH ALSO SAT 24 SEPT 7PM - 9PM Stephen Ramsey, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London is one of the last scientific glassblowers still working in the UK. He will give a talk and demonstration of glassblowing, both scientific and artistic. FREE
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Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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APOLLO 11 CAMPERVAN MEET AT THE GUILDHALL BOX OFFICE ALSO ON FRI 23 SEPT 4PM, 6PM AND SAT 24 SEPT 11AM, 1PM, 3PM, SUN 25 SEPT 11.30AM, 1.30PM & 3.30PM
1PM
ÂRTICA PONTEN PIE PLEASE MEET AT THE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE BOX OFFICE TO BE TAKEN TO A MYSTERY LOCATION ALSO FRI 23 SEPT 2.30PM, 6.30PM, 8PM, 10PM AND SAT 24 SEPT 11AM, 1PM, 3PM, 5PM, 7PM An old wooden shed holds a secret that will only be disclosed to those who get in..... In groups of 18 and with 50 minute performances, the audience will be welcomed by curious characters, who will invite them to enter their home. Each spectator will wear a warm coat to protect them from the cold (6ºC) inside the shed where the coldest stories evolve into the warmest memories of our lives complete with nostalgia and poetry. Don’t be cold, just follow the thread. ÂRTICA is a non-conventional show, without text, from top Spanish creative company Ponten Pie. 8 years + £12 (£10) £38 FAMILY OF FOUR (People with disabilities or unable to walk for five minutes need to specify when booking)
It’s July 1969. 350,000 people are trying to recover from Woodstock and three men are on their way to the moon on the Apollo 11 spacecraft - Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Two of them were destined to be the most famous men on the planet. Now meet the third. Michael Collins is on a mission all of his own. Whilst Neil and Buzz muck about moonwalking, Michael has a serious job to do. Go with him to the dark side of the moon, out of radio contact with the rest of humanity for 60 minutes of utter solitude, 60 minutes to think about home... 60 minutes to examine the nature of existence. It’s a rocket-fuelled display of musicianship, theatre and comedy, all inside a VW Campervan! 1 HR 10 PLACES PER SHOW £5 (£4)
2.30PM
THE MAN WHO COULDN’T STOP DR DAVID ADAM A Royal Society Event WOOLSTHORPE MANOR Ever had a strange urge to jump from a tall building, or steer your car into oncoming traffic? You are not alone. In this captivating fusion of science, history and personal memoir, writer David Adam explores the weird thoughts that exist within every mind, and how they drive millions of us towards obsessions and compulsions. David has suffered from OCD for 20 years, and The Man Who Couldn’t Stop is his unflinchingly honest attempt to understand the condition and his experiences; a book that will challenge thoughts of what is normal, and what is mental illness. Dr Adam is a writer and editor at Nature, one of the world’s top scientific journals. Suitable for age 14+ £4 (£3)
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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VAGABOND MATTER
WHERE ARTS AND SCIENCE MEET
2.30PM
ÂRTICA - PONTEN PIE
AT RPEERFPOREMANCE
ACROJOU/ PONTIO CENTRE
AT A MYSTERY LOCATION SOMEWHERE IN GRANTHAM
GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE
PLEASE MEET AT THE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE BOX OFFICE
Join Jeni Barnard from performance company Acrojou and scientists and academics from the Pontio Centre, the new innovation venue at Bangor University where science and art meet. They are developing a show which Acrojou will perform in 2017 in the UK and abroad, and this chaired discussion gives an insight into the development period and how scientific concepts can be presented in contemporary artforms. Blending theatre, acrobatics, bespoke structures and sublime visuals, Acrojou creates contemporary circus productions for events worldwide - seen by hundreds of thousands since their first commission for London’s Trafalgar Square Festival a decade ago. This project, also in collaboration with Innovation Centre, Vagabond Matter, is an experimental production exploring the impact of science on human experience.
ALSO FRI 23 SEPT 6.30PM, 8PM, 10PM AND SAT 24 SEPT 11AM, 1PM, 3PM, 5PM, 7PM
£6 (£5)
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Don’t be cold, just follow the thread… See page 11 for full details. built on work done by his predecessors, to which he added profound contributions to many topics including optics and gravity. Festival patron Professor Val Gibson will present, with demonstrations, what she considers to be his top 10 scientific achievements, and how they relate to the science of today. 4PM Val Gibson is Head of High NEWTON’S Energy Physics at the SCIENCE University of Cambridge. She gained her doctorate degree PROFESSOR in Experimental Particle VALERIE GIBSON Physics from Queen’s College Oxford and has GUILDHALL ARTS previously held a physics CENTRE, THEATRE fellowship at CERN. She has ALSO SAT 24 SEPT 4.30PM AT WOOLSTHORPE MANOR published more than 300 papers on aspects of High Sir Isaac Newton is Energy Physics. considered by many as a “Giant of Science”. Suitable for age 14+ His extraordinary talent £6 (£5)
4PM
THE GENIUS ENGINEERS OF WW2 DR HUGH HUNT WOOLSTHORPE MANOR From the prisoners of Colditz to the bouncing bombs of Barnes Wallis and Hitler’s V3 supergun, WW2 was an era of innovation and rapid development in engineering achievement. The extremes of wartime, whether the military might of the main powers or the desperation of individuals, led to clever and imaginative designs and solutions and perhaps some of this engineering brilliance could tackle the challenges of climate change. Dr Hugh Hunt is a Reader in the Department of Engineering at The University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Trinity College. He is the winner of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s 2015 Rooke Award for public engagement. Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5)
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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APOLLO 11 CAMPERVAN
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MEET AT THE GUILDHALL BOX OFFICE ALSO SAT 24 SEPT 11AM, 1PM, 3PM, SUN 25 SEPT 11.30AM, 1.30PM AND 3.30PM £5 (£4) See page 11 for full details. 6PM
SIR VENKI RAMAKRISHNAN
difference allows many useful antibiotics work by specifically blocking the bacterial ribosome without affecting our own. I will talk about how it has been possible to see the ribosome in atomic detail, thus providing insights into how it works and how antibiotics block it at many different steps. Suitable for age 14+ £5 (£4)
A Royal Society Event GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE SEEING IS BELIEVING: REVEALING THE CELL’S PROTEIN FACTORY AND HOW ANTIBIOTICS BLOCK IT 5.30PM
BODY OF LIGHT DARREN PRITCHARD GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, BALLROOM AND SAT 24 SEPT 10.30AM AND 12.30PM Light, technology and dance combine in this accessible show suitable for tiny people and big people too! Enjoy a fusion of dance and technology as choreography and electronic sounds work in tandem, in this presentation by Darren Pritchard. Get involved in a special ‘Stay & Play’ workshop afterwards. Suitable for all aged 3 + £3
All cells have thousands of proteins that carry out the essential functions of life. The information to make proteins resides in our genes, each of which specifies a particular protein. That information is read by a large molecule called the ribosome, which uses the information to make the protein specified by each gene. The ribosome consists of hundreds of thousands of atoms, and because it is an ancient molecule, the ribosomes of humans differ from those of bacteria. This
6PM
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APOLLO 11 CAMPERVAN
MEET AT THE GUILDHALL BOX OFFICE £5 (£4) See page 11 for full details. 6.30PM
ÂRTICA PONTEN PIE
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PLEASE MEET AT THE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE BOX OFFICE See page 11 for full details.
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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OCKHAM’S RAZOR – TRIPLE BILL
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ST WULFRAM’S CHURCH ALSO SAT 24 SEPT 1PM Ockham’s Razor is a critically acclaimed aerial theatre company. Suitable for ages 6 + £12 (£10) £5 STUDENTS AND CHILDREN See page 6 for further details.
7.30 PM
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THE SCIENTIFIC SECRETS OF DOCTOR WHO STAMFORD ARTS CENTRE See page 9 for full details. 8PM
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AT A MYSTERY LOCATION SOMEWHERE IN GRANTHAM PLEASE MEET AT THE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE BOX OFFICE ALSO FRI 10PM AND SAT 24 SEPT 11AM, 1PM, 3PM, 5PM, 7PM See page 11 for full details. 7.30PM
AN EVENING WITH DALLAS CAMPBELL GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE Dallas Campbell, writer, presenter and Gravity Fields Festival patron, invites you to an evening of entertainment and science! His curiosity and original mind have led him to become one of television’s freshest and funniest talents and he even won a Celebrity Mastermind trophy! He presented The Gadget Show, BBC1’s science series Bang Goes the Theory and Supersized Earth. Join him and festival guests for a special evening full of surprises!
8PM
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OLD DOGG AT THE MINT
GRANTHAM DRAMATIC SOCIETY KING’S SCHOOL, OLD HALL A new play about Isaac Newton at the Royal Mint.
9PM
SCIENCE
BRIGHT CLUB GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, BALLROOM The thinking person’s comedy night hits Grantham! Join us for an evening of laughter and discovery as academics take to the stage to tell us about their research, in the form of a stand-up comedy set. Fronted by a professional comic and with jokes on everything from microbiology to ancient history, you’ll sure to leave with a smile on your face. You might even learn a thing or two. Suitable for 16 years + £10 10PM
ÂRTICA PONTEN PIE
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AT A MYSTERY LOCATION SOMEWHERE IN GRANTHAM PLEASE MEET AT THE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE BOX OFFICE ALSO SAT 24 SEPT 11AM, 1PM, 3PM, 5PM, 7PM See page 11 for full details.
See page 9 for full details.
£14 (£12)
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HT LATE NCIOG MEDY
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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10AM
STORYTELLING: ISAAC, THE APPLE AND THE BUMP ON THE HEAD ST WULFRAM’S CHURCH ALSO 11.30AM AT THE GEORGE CENTRE
9.30AM
LIVING WITH WILDLIFE DR SASHA NORRIS KING’S SCHOOL, OLD HALL (ENTER FROM CHURCH STREET)
Accompanied by her owls, hedgehogs, and other animals, Gravity Fields favourite Dr Sasha Norris reveals the secret lives of our wildlife through her journey as a conservationist, TV Zoologist, and founder of a wildlife rescue. Among other pursuits, Sasha has a PhD from Oxford University, has worked alongside Bill Bailey and Chris Packham, founded a wildlife charity and is re-wilding 750 acres of Welsh hill farm. She has hand reared or treated everything from black headed gulls to goshawks, foxes and fallow deer at her rescue centre in Herefordshire. Suitable for everyone 7+ £5
Not so long ago, a young man sat under a tree when ‘OUCH!’, an apple landed on his head! Join storyteller Mara Menzies for an exciting exploration into the wonderful world of Sir Isaac Newton. Suitable for age 3+ FREE 10AM TO 3PM
FAMILY SCIENCE FAIR THE GEORGE CENTRE Science demos, table top activities and cool tech to get your hands on! With contributions from the University of Hull, the Royal Society of Chemistry, University of Lincoln, Iconic Engineering and University Technology Colleges among many others. FREE ENTRY
10.30AM TO 12NOON
PIN HOLE CAMERA WORKSHOP FOR FAMILIES GRANTHAM MUSEUM Explore the fantastic world of pinhole photography and create inspirational images without the use of lenses or digital media. Groups will be shown the principles behind the old camera obscura and the science behind silver halide negative images. Test the science to create your own negative photographs. Run by staff and students of Grantham College. Suitable for accompanied 7 + £3 PER PARTICIPANT 10.30AM & 12.30PM
BODY OF LIGHT DARREN PRITCHARD GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, BALLROOM Toddlers sessions suitable for ages 2 to 5. All other performances age 3 plus and families £3
11AM
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AT A MYSTERY LOCATION SOMEWHERE IN GRANTHAM PLEASE MEET AT THE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE BOX OFFICE ALSO SAT 24 SEPT, 1PM, 3PM, 5PM, 7PM See page 11 for full details. 11AM
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MEET AT THE GUILDHALL BOX OFFICE ALSO SAT 24 SEPT 1PM, 3PM, SUN 25 SEPT 11.30AM, 1.30PM AND 3.30PM £5 (£4) See page 11 for full details.
See page 13 for full details.
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Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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11AM
MATHS AND BELLRINGING ROBERT STURMAN AND GEORGE DAWSON KING’S SCHOOL, OLD HALL (PLEASE ENTER FROM CHURCH STREET)
11AM
BUBBLES AND BALLOONS SCIENCE MADE SIMPLE STAMFORD ARTS CENTRE ALSO 3PM AT THE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE Get excited by our giant bubbles and whizzing balloons! In this interactive and memorable show you can explore the best bits of bubbles and of balloons. From blowing them to bursting them, discover all the amazing things you can do in between! Suitable for age 4 + and their families Approx 45mins £7 (£6) FAMILY OF FOUR £20
ISSN M T N O D URDAY’S TOW
SAT ION ORMAHTT OUT F S N A R IG T SN GENIOU 0 SEE IN 9 AND 2 PAGES 1
11AM
WHAT WE CANNOT KNOW PROFESSOR MARCUS DU SAUTOY GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE Is it possible that we will one day know everything? Or is there research that will always lie beyond the bounds of human comprehension? And if so, how do we cope with living in a universe where there are things that will forever transcend our understanding? In What We Cannot Know, based on his new book, Marcus leads us on a thought-provoking expedition to the furthest reaches of science. Marcus is Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and co presents the BBC TV series School of Hard Sums with Dara O’Briain.
Mathematician Rob Sturman and bell historian George Dawson present an introduction to the science and maths behind bellringing. From the sombre toll of a single bell to the majesty of a whole peal, bell ringing has been part of English culture for centuries. But did you know that behind this age old tradition there is a whole lot of science? Join them and the ringers of St Wulfram’s as they uncover the maths and physics behind campanology. £6 (£5) 12.30PM
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LIVING WITH WILDLIFE DR SASHA NORRIS KING’S SCHOOL, OLD HALL (PLEASE ENTER FROM CHURCH STREET)
£5 ALL TICKETS See page 15 for full details.
12.30PM
BODY OF LIGHT DARREN PRITCHARD GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, BALLROOM Suitable for age 3 + and families £3 See page 13 for full details.
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1PM
OCKHAM ’S RAZOR - TRIPLE BILL
ST WULFRAM’S CHURCH Suitable for ages 8 + See page 6 for full details. £12 (£10) £5 STUDENTS AND CHILDREN See page 6 for full details. 1PM
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AT A MYSTERY LOCATION SOMEWHERE IN GRANTHAM PLEASE MEET AT THE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE BOX OFFICE See page 11 for full details.
Suitable for 14 years + £6 (£5)
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APOLLO 11 CAMPERVAN MEET AT THE GUILDHALL BOX OFFICE ALSO SUN 25 SEPT 11.30AM, 1.30PM AND 3.30PM
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FROM PRINCIPIA TO EXOPLANETS AND THE QUEST OF ‘UNIVERSAL LIFE’
£5 (£4)
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engineer to what the future holds; even seeing around corners to holographic television in a tour de force of entertainment and education, with props! Prof Allinson MBE holds the Distinguished Chair of Image Engineering at the University of Lincoln.
laws of physics. Over the past year or so, intriguing results have hinted that we may be on the brink of a breakthrough in our understanding of the universe. Harry will tell the story of what we’ve discovered so far, and what the future may have in store for physics.
Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5)
Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5)
See page 11 for full details.
PROFESSOR DIDIER QUELOZ GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE With the publication of his ‘Principia Mathematica’ in 1687, Newton established the foundation of physics used in the detection of planets on other stars. Twenty years later came the first discovery of a planet orbiting another sun-like planet and thousands of exo-planets are now being detected at an ever-increasing rate. Confined for centuries to pure speculation and philosophical debates, the existence of life outside our solar system - three centuries after Newton’s seminal publication - is almost at the stage of a testable scientific hypothesis. Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5)
2.30PM
CERN UPDATE 1.30PM
LESS THAN 100 IMAGES PROFESSOR NIGEL ALLINSON WOOLSTHORPE MANOR Images are everywhere with nearly 150,000 images posted on Facebook every minute. Nigel Allinson’s story begins in 10th century Basra in Iran, passing through some local heroes not just Newton but a medieval bishop and a humble
NEWS FROM THE HIGH ENERGY FRONTIER DR HARRY CLIFF GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE Particle physicist and festival co-curator Dr Harry Cliff brings us the latest news from the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider. This year, 2016, is make or break time for CERN’s super-collider, as physicists push its energy to the limits in search of new particles, forces of nature, dark matter and a deeper understanding of the
2.30PM
UGLY ANIMAL ROADSHOW SIMON WATT STAMFORD ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE Join Simon Watt at this comedy show with a conservation twist! What adaptations make ugly animals amazing? How did such hideous creatures evolve in the first place. See videos, demonstrations and enjoy lots of audience participation. Suitable for age 7 + £7 (£6) FAMILY OF FOUR £20
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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3PM
BUBBLES AND BALLOONS 4.30PM
SCIENCE MADE SIMPLE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, BALLROOM
4PM
£7 (£6) FAMILY OF FOUR £20
3PM
See page 16 for full details.
ANNUS MIRABILIS
APOLLO 11 CAMPERVAN MEET AT THE GUILDHALL BOX OFFICE ALSO SUN 25 SEPT 11.30AM, 1.30PM TE AND 3.30PM EPEA ANC £5 (£4)
RPERFORM
See page 11 for full details. 3PM
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ÂRTICA PONTEN PIE AT A MYSTERY LOCATION SOMEWHERE IN GRANTHAM PLEASE MEET AT THE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE BOX OFFICE See page 11 for full details.
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1666 PROFESSOR ROB ILIFFE
3PM
NEWTON’S SCIENCE
WOOLSTHORPE MANOR Festival patron and acclaimed Newton expert, Rob looks at the social, political and artistic background to Newton’s ‘wonderful year’ or ‘annus mirabilis’. John Dryden’s poem was published at the start of 1667, and commemorated various triumphs from the early stages of the Second Dutch War, as well as London’s deliverance from the plague and the effects of the Great Fire. Rob contrasts religious accounts of the disasters of 1666 as portents of even worse things to come, with more optimistic accounts of what the future offered. Plague aside, 1666 witnessed a flourish of activity in fields across literature, theatre and science. Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5)
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THE SIMPSONS AND THEIR MATHEMATICAL SECRETS
PROFESSOR VALERIE GIBSON
SIMON SINGH
See page 12 for full details.
GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE
5PM and 7PM
Simon Singh, author of Fermat’s Last Theorem and Big Bang, talks about his most recent book exploring mathematical themes hidden in The Simpsons. We know that The Simpsons is the most successful show in TV history, but did you realise that its mathematically gifted writers used the show to explore everything from calculus to geometry, from pi to game theory, and from infinitesimals to infinity. Singh will also discuss how writers of Futurama have similarly smuggled deep mathematical ideas into the series. Suitable for 14 years +
WOOLSTHORPE MANOR £6 (£5)
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ÂRTICA PONTEN PIE
AT A MYSTERY LOCATION SOMEWHERE IN GRANTHAM PLEASE MEET AT THE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE BOX OFFICE See page 11 for full details.
RE 5 OR MO R O F K BOO S AND L EVENT A IV T S E F
£9 (£8) SPECIAL PRICE TO INCLUDE TALK AND BOOK (ORIGINAL BOOK PRICE £18.99)
TALK ONLY £6 (£5)
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
FF O 2 £ T E G ICKET EACH T
G R AV I T Y F I E L D S F E S T I VA L
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INGENIOUS NIGHT OUT...
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7pm to 9.45pm across Grantham Town Centre
Ingenious events and creations for all ages from some of the country’s leading outdoor arts companies on display and brought to life by hundreds of local participants, transforming the town’s outdoor spaces.
Highlights include: The Pleasure Gardens Experiment Cirque Bijou in partnership with Rosa Productions. Roll up, roll up for the ingenious Pleasure Garden Experiment … animated by an extraordinary company of circus artists, street performers, puppeteers and magicians, evoking the era of alchemists, of fire, flame and stars and Newton’s time at the Royal Mint.
INGENIOUS Outdoor Events Produced and Programmed by Rosemary Richards Creative Producer: Jeremy James
Industriosity
Helios
Join Griffin Historical to learn about the history of gunpowder with smoke and noise guaranteed…….. light ye touch paper and retire!
To mark the ingenuity of the era of machines and mechanical design, witness the mayhem of animating a giant Heath Robinson contraption. Laboriously contrived and lovingly made, this is the greatest machine never to be invented in the Industrial Revolution.
External Combustion presents another astronomical machine.
Angel and Royal Car Park
Outside St Wulfram’s Church
Performed by Cirque Bijou in company with local circus performers and Grantham College.
Flash in the Pan
Frantic
Market Place Acrojou moves us forward with a dynamic show running freewheel. Love, freedom, blood, sweat and rainstorms: Frantic is an explosive acrobatic exploration of our relentless devotion to busyness; the reality of a running mind and one man’s thirst for escape. Frantic features spectacular acrobatics and dance theatre, choreographed around a wheel, with a joyous finale danced in pouring rain.
Market Place
Explosive, bombastic and fantastic, Industriosity is part kinetic sculpture, part performance,
Outside the Guildhall
A sonification and flame installation of visceral beauty, power and rhythm. This monumental piece of laboratory equipment represents a curved slice of the sun animated with flame. Coronal mass ejections thump and screech as filigrees of flame roll and pulse across an 18m arc of steel apparatus.
Industriosity is presented by internationally acclaimed contraption designers and maverick circus innovators PanGottic, and showcases the talents of Grantham College students and staff.
With the support of
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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The LED Umbrella P roject
Scientific Glassblowing
Around the town. Finale 9.30pm St Peter’s Hill
St Wulfram’s Church Area
We travel right up to date with technology as Cirque Bijou presents one hundred choreographed dancers, one hundred LED umbrellas and the town of Grantham as their stage. A beautiful installation, a wonderful dance, a magical procession. The LED Umbrellas light up the town and shine a gentle and beautiful glow across the dancers, the audience and buildings. And as the processions merge the umbrellas slip on their dancing shoes… and bring the town to life joined by hundreds of LED lit whirling humanoids big and small, lights flashing, awaiting their own magic moment as the evening draws to a close.
Stephen Ramsey, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London is one of the last scientific glassblowers still working in the UK. He will give a talk and demonstration of glassblowing, both scientific and artistic. 9.30PM TILL LATE!
LATE NIGHT MUSIC
Guildhall Arts Centre Ballroom After all the excitement of the evening’s entertainment why not carry on the party in the Guildhall’s Ballroom where the bar will be open and the music playing until late!
Circus innovators PanGottic
£5 ALL TICKETS
Choreography led by Cirque Bijou choreographer Kati Codogno with Chantry Dance Company. Show and Community participation presented by Cirque Bijou and Rosa Productions.
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Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
G R AV I T Y F I E L D S F E S T I VA L
SUN D AY
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FROM 11AM
PLAGUE DAY WOOLSTHORPE MANOR TO COLSTERWORTH CHURCH
11AM
ALBEE VECTOR SOUND COLLECTOR GREEN LIGHT THEATRE COMPANY GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE An epic tale of love, adventure and a sound-hoover called Mustard. Find out how Albee and Andromeda survived kings, curses and cruelty on their quest for beautiful sound in the world. With sounds running low, Albee will need a few more noises to tell this particular story... like popping, fizzing, hissing, clopping, whizzing, whooshing, banging and crashing! Everything that children’s theatre should be – vivid, imaginative and downright funny’ Broadway Baby Suitable for age 4+ and families 55 minutes approx £5 ALL TICKETS
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Re-live the Plague as it happened in a re-enactment event in and around Woolsthorpe Manor where experts, storytellers and actors will entertain you. Experience the plague up close and dangerous – wash your hands, cover your mouth and meet characters who might have a spot or something a little nastier, a dreaded bubo! Plague day activities take place at the Manor, along the footpath to Colsterworth and at the village church. Plague Days is presented by Greenwich and Lewisham Young People’s Theatre with a local cast. Originally commissioned by the National Maritime Museum alongside the 2015 Samuel Pepys Exhibition.
11.30AM
11am Storytelling – Mara Menzies 12noon Plague Doctors – Griffin Historical 1pm Pepys Diary Readings 2pm Storytelling – Mara Menzies 2.45pm Plague Doctors Griffin Historical £3 per person. Suitable for all the family. Entry to Woolsthorpe Manor site will be by ticket only.
NATURAL FLIGHT
PLUS... 4pm Science in a Time of War and Plague - Rob Illiffe Talk (see page 23) £6
APOLLO 11 CAMPERVAN MEET AT THE GUILDHALL BOX OFFICE ALSO SUN 25 SEPT 1.30PM & 3.30PM £5 (£4) See page 11 for full details.
insects when building our own flying machines? Richard, a former King’s School pupil in Grantham, is a reader in biomechanics at the Royal Veterinary College and an expert on insect flight. Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5) 12 NOON
THE BIG BANG IN 60 MINUTES SIMON SINGH GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, BALLROOM
11.30AM
DR RICHARD BOMPHREY ANGEL AND ROYAL HOTEL (KING’S ROOM, UPSTAIRS) To lift off and become airborne, flying animals have to conquer gravity by flapping their wings and pushing on the air. Insects are the most diverse order of animals on earth and they often use sophisticated aerodynamic tricks that Isaac Newton would have appreciated ... using his laws of motion. Can humans learn from
Simon Singh, author of Fermat’s Last Theorem and The Code Book, talks about his history of cosmology entitled Big Bang. What is the Big Bang model, who came up with the idea and what is the evidence to support it? Where do Led Zeppelin, the Teletubbies and electrocuted gherkins come in? Simon is also a TV producer, specialising in science and mathematics and the author of The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets, and Trick or Treatment? Suitable for age 14+ £9 (£8) SPECIAL PRICE TO INCLUDE TALK AND BOOK (ORIGINAL BOOK PRICE £18.99)
£6 (£5) TALK ONLY
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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The life and influence of another Lincolnshire born scientific genius Sir Joseph Banks is explored in three Sunday sessions at Harlaxton Manor. Banks was a naturalist, botanist, and President of the Royal Society - advising King George III on the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.
12 NOON
JOSEPH BANKS RICHARD BARLEY HARLAXTON MANOR Director of Horticulture, Learning and Operations at Kew’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Richard relates Joseph Banks’ travels with Captain Cook on HMS Endeavour, his role in establishing Kew as the world’s hub of botanical science and collusion with George III, and his legacy. After 30 years at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Australian born Richard has in the last two years taken a
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leading role in projects such as the restoration of Kew’s historic Temperate House, development of the Great Broad Walk Borders, ‘Kew on a Plate’ BBC TV project, and planning for a Children’s Garden at Kew. Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5) 1.30PM
JOSEPH BANKS’ VOYAGES
AT REPOREMANCE 1.30PM
PERF
APOLLO 11 CAMPERVAN MEET AT THE GUILDHALL BOX OFFICE ALSO AT 3.30PM £5 (£4) See page 11 for full details. 3PM
A PANEL DISCUSSION
THE FLOWER AND THE ATOM
HARLAXTON MANOR
DR HARRY CLIFF
A Panel Discussion with Richard Barley (Kew Gardens), Rob Iliffe (University of Oxford), awardwinning playwright Louise Page, the Lincolnshire based Sir Joseph Banks Society, and Harry Cliff (Science Museum and University of Cambridge). The panellists explore the history and stories of Banks’ voyages around the world, including his exploration of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1766 and two years later as he joined Captain Cook’s first major voyage to the Pacific.
HARLAXTON MANOR
£6 (£5)
In 1827 Robert Brown, protegé of of the great naturalist Sir Joseph Banks, made a strange discovery. While trying to understand how plants have sex, he found pollen particles dancing around as if alive. Brown’s discovery left scientists baffled for almost a century, and would take the great Albert Einstein to explain. Physicist and festival cocurator Dr Harry Cliff relates the seldom-told story of Robert Brown, his jiggling pollen particles and how Einstein showed that Brown’s flower held the secret to the existence of atoms. Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5)
2.30PM
PERIODIC TABLE OF VIDEOS DR DARREN WALSH
ANGEL AND ROYAL, KING’S ROOM (UPSTAIRS) Collaboration between Nottingham University’s School of Chemistry and video journalist Brady Haran led to the creation of the Periodic Table of Videos YouTube channel. This collection of videos gathered momentum over eight years and now has 750,000 subscribers and more than 124 million views. Darren demonstrates some of the videos’ most famous chemical reactions. £6 (£5) 3PM
DANCING WITH NEWTON KING’S SCHOOL, OLD SCHOOL Was Newton a dancer? Come and find out and enjoy a pleasant afternoon of dancing and music from Isaac’s time with the Charles Ant Ceildh Band and members of Grantham Danserye. All ages and levels of dancers are welcome. Enjoy period prose on the benefits and evils of dancing! Donations for Grantham Passage. £5 TO INCLUDE REFRESHMENTS
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
G R AV I T Y F I E L D S F E S T I VA L
SUN D AY
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4PM
SCIENCE IN A TIME OF WAR AND PLAGUE:
SAMUEL PEPYS AND ISAAC NEWTON PROFESSOR ROB ILIFFE WOOLSTHORPE MANOR
3PM
DR DEATH AND THE MEDI-EVIL MEDICINE SHOW SIMON WATT - READY STEADY SCIENCE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, BALLROOM A historically, scientifically accurate panto for children and childish people! Sneezes, wheezes, sickness and diseases are never welcome but in the past, some of the treatments could be worse than the illness. Join the time-travelling ‘Doctor Death’, Simon Watt, to see if he can ‘cure’ you with animation, puppetry and audience participation. Warning: This show promises blood, guts, gore and a lot more! Approx 50mins Suitable for age 7+ £7 (£6) £20 FAMILY OF FOUR
In very different ways, Pepys and Newton were the beneficiaries of almost two years of continuous crisis in England. As the second Dutch War (1665-7) took hold, Pepys, a Fellow of the Royal Society from February 1665, was rapidly promoted in the admin branch of the Navy. He remained in London for almost all of the period, sustaining his great interest in natural philosophy and becoming convinced that all English sailors should acquire scientific and technical knowledge. On the other hand, Newton withdrew from society and benefitted greatly from the almost two years of free research time that he enjoyed at his Woolsthorpe birthplace from the spring of 1665, making most of the great discoveries for which he is best known. Suitable for age 14+ £6 (£5)
4.30PM
THE GENESIS OF THE MODERN PIANO: JOHN BROADWOOD, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION DOUGLAS HOLLICK HARLAXTON MANOR Douglas Hollick is an internationally recognised early keyboard player and teacher who has spent 15 years making copies of early keyboard instruments. For this illustrated talk and recital about London piano making in the 18th and early 19th centuries, he will be playing an 1809 Broadwood piano with music by Haydn and the programme sonata of 1793 ‘The Sufferings of the Queen of France’ by Jan Ladislav Dussek to commemorate Marie-Antoinette. £10 (£8)
7PM
THE UNPARALLELED ADVENTURE OF ONE HANS PFAALL FOOL’S CAP THEATRE GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE, THEATRE A fantastical sci-fi adaptation from Edgar Allan Poe’s novel of the unparalleled journey of bankrupt artisan Hans Pfaall, who, in an attempt to escape his miserable situation, decides to reach the moon by way of a giant gas-balloon with the aid of his scientific speculations. During his solitary voyage, where the moon is his only guide and hope for a new beginning, Pfaall encounters many terrifying dangers and wondrous sights until, after 19 days, his journey comes to an end. A wonderful way to finish the festival! £10 (£8)
Booking: gravityfields.co.uk Box Office:01476 406158
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G R AV I T Y F I E L D S F E S T I VA L
A Guildhall Arts Centre and Box Office NG31 6PZ The George Centre NG31 6LH Angel and Royal Hotel NG31 6PN St Wulfram’s Church NG31 6RR
E Grantham Museum NG31 6PY F King’s School NG31 6RP G Harlaxton Manor NG32 1AG Woolsthorpe Manor NG33 5PD
The Meres Leisure Centre NG31 7XQ
Guildhall Arts Centre and Box Office, St Peter’s Hill, Grantham NG31 6PZ 01476 406158 Mon - Fri 9.30am - 4.30pm. Sat 9.30am - 2pm
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Reservations to be paid for within five working days. Remaining tickets sold on the door at venues 45 mins before each show.
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Stamford events tickets also from Stamford Arts Centre, St. Mary’s Street PE9 2DL 01780 763203 Mon - Sat 9.30am - 8pm Woolsthorpe Manor Talks: Take place in festival marquee. Afternoon talk tickets are individually priced. Entrance to Woolsthorpe Manor House: £3.85 and £2.50 for children. (Free to National Trust members). For access information please see website. (Please note there is no wheelchair access to the Kings Room in the Angel & Royal).
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TO THE MERES LEISURE CENTRE
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TO HARLAXTON MANOR (3 MILES)
MANOR VIA THE A1 (9 MILES)
Prices shown in brackets are for people entitled to concession rates.
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BOOKING INFORMATION Book online www.gravityfields.co.uk
Grantham, Lincolnshire
AD BRO
Alive Church NG31 6TA Grantham Market Place NG31 6LJ