"Celebration Space" Evening Event
Join us, on Thursday 6th July from 6-8pm at the Cardiff University Centre for Student Life, for an evening of celebration of space and astronomy for adults and children!
Throughout the evening you will be able to explore an art exhibition from professional artists and school students, activities and exhibits from the UK astronomy community, 3D cinema, children’s storytelling, and a panel discussion with authors, journalists and artists about how space and astronomy benefit wider society!
We will also be announcing and awarding the prizes for the winners of the Space Super Stars Competition at the begining of this evening, and for the winners from the professional AstroArt-ORIGINS competition at the start of the panel discussion.
Refreshments, including hot and cold drinks, will be available to purchase.
Please note: This is a free but ticketed event. Recommended ages 4+.Click here to book your free ticket!
On the programme:
Super Space Stars Competition: Prize Ceremony (6-6:30pm)
The winners the Super Stars Space Competition, for age 4-14 students, will be announced, and prizes awarded. This session is available for entrants of the Super Space Stars competition and their families.
We Share the Same Moon - Space Story-telling (6:30-7:30pm)
Come and join our International Scientist-Storyteller for some amazing sky-lore storytelling from around the globe.
Discover …
- How Coyote Discovered the Stars
- Why the Sun and Moon never married
- What the Moon is Made of - and it isn’t cheese!
10 minute sessions for ages 4 - 11 years, with Cassandra Wye (Scientist-Storyteller).
Space-busking (6-8pm)
Science Made Simple will demo a broad range of simple experiments and demonstrations - many of which you could try at home. Suitable for all ages!
3D Cinema Shows (6:15-8pm)
Immersive 3D cinema shows from AstroCymru, suitable for all ages. There will be multiple shows throughout the evening.
Art Exhibition: AstroArt ORIGINS (6-8pm)
An exhibition of art inspired by Space, from artists from the local area and around the UK, in partnership with the ArtLife Society, open throughout the event. Visitors will be able to vote for their favourite piece of art, with prizes awarded at 7pm.
The exhibition is also open throughout the National Astronomy Meeting (9am-4pm, 3-7th July), with a public preview on Tuesday 4th July 6-8pm.Panel Discussion: What has Space Ever Done for Us? (7-8pm)
This event, taking place in the Sir Stanley Thomas Lecture Theatre, will begin with the presentation of the awards for the Astro-Art ORIGINS competition, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A, focusing on how space and astronomy can benefit wider society. Panel members:
- - Alastair Reynolds: Alastair Reynolds is a science fiction author based in Wales. A former space scientist, Alastair turned from studying pulsars and binary stars to fiction, and is now the author of 19 novels and more than 70 short stories.
- - Gemma Lavender: A science journalist and author, Gemma Lavender is the editor of All About Space and a Communications and Outreach Officer for the European Space Agency, based in Harwell, Oxfordshire.
- - Ione Parkin RWA: Ione is the lead artist and co-founder of the Creativity and Curiosity art-astronomy project. She is an Honorary Visiting Fellow at the School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leicester, and the Royal West of England Academician.
- - Jack Philp: A critically distinguished choreographer, Jack Philp works nationally and internationally as a choreographer, director and freelance dance artist. Jack has created commissioned work for several companies, organisations and vocational schools as well as toured productions across the UK as the Artistic Director of his independent collective Jack Philp Dance.
This panel discussion will be chaired by Prof Chris Lintott, an astronomer who specialises in galaxy formation, machine learning including anomaly detection, and occasional planet hunting. These projects usually make use of the Zooniverse citizen science platform, working in collaboration with more than two million volunteers around the world. He is also an author, a broadcaster for the BBC's long-running Sky at Night program, and involved in all sorts of public engagement and outreach projects.
Recommended age: 12+Activities and exhibits (6-8pm)
Activities for all ages, delivered by astronomers from across the UK. This will be open for the entire event. Provisional exhibitors include :
