Festival of the Future marks another exciting step in Dundee’s reinvention

Published On Mon 27 Aug 2018 by Grant Hill

A major new national festival exploring the space between science, music, art and design will take place at the University of Dundee for the first time this autumn as the city’s cultural regeneration continues.

Festival of the Future takes place from October 17-21 and will celebrate how collaboration across the scientific and creative spheres are helping to address the biggest issues of our times, from the local to the global level.

Award-winning authors Chris Brookmyre and Ken MacLeod will discuss the future of AI, among other topics, while musician Be Charlotte will give a performance demonstrating the results of her collaboration with scientist Dr Kate Stone to develop new technologies that enhance the audience experience of digital music.

Professor Niamh Nic Daeid and best-selling crime writer Val McDermid will discuss the fact and fiction of forensic science and its current relationship with the justice system as the festival highlights everything that the University and the city excels at – in science, art, music, food, theatre, dance and more – across almost 50 events.

V&A Dundee is one of the many partners working with the University to create performances, talks and workshops. The National Theatre of Scotland will be providing the opening event, which will include performance and music. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee Rep and many other local partners and businesses are also involved in the wide ranging programme.

Festival Manager Anna Day said, “The festival comes at an exciting time for the University and the city. It’s an evolution of the Dundee Literary Festival and Women in Science – a chance for us to shout out loud about absolutely everything that the University and the city is brilliant at.

“We will show that fantastic collaboration happens here – not just between different groups in the cultural sector, but between science and the arts, between technology and music, dance and design.”

The programme will be officially launched in mid-September. Each day of the festival will feature workshops aimed at children, young people and adults, debates with academics and external speakers and high-profile events featuring prestigious figures from the worlds of science and culture. Dance, theatre, music and comedy performances will also take place and a series of ‘supper clubs’ will bring members of the public into areas of the University usually behind closed doors.

More information about Festival of the Future can be found at www.dundee.ac.uk/futurefest.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 384768
Mobile: 07854 953277
Email: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk