Dundee V&A Festival of the Future to make science accessible

Under those circumstances, the concept of a Festival of the Future, a celebration of what might be, could seem unduly idealistic at the moment. In reality, however, no matter how much bickering goes on in the seats of power, our scientists, academics, and artists are forging ahead with research around how we can live better.

Organised by the University of Dundee, the Festival of the Future is described by its cultural projects officer Emma Beatt as the place where science, art, and culture intersect.

“The most exciting part of the festival is bringing great minds together,” she says. “Whether we pair academics with outside organisations, or with fellow academics from another part of the university, it’s about approaching subjects from different perspectives, bringing their own areas of knowledge.”

This isn’t without its challenges. As Beatt explains, it can be difficult to coax researchers out of their rooms and laboratories and engage with the public. In addition, any festival that happens under the auspices of academia needs to be more creative in their attempt to attract bodies into hallowed halls of learning.

The V&A in Dundee

It becomes much more difficult when reaching out to those who feel that the university environment isn’t for the likes of them.

Literature joins music, theatre, film, and dance in the festival’s artistic strands, with the university collaborating with partners including Dundee Science Festival, Dundee Contemporary Arts and Dundee Rep Theatre.

WELL-KNOWN names help of course. The headline acts, if you like, are childhood favourite Johnny Ball, presenting The Wonder of Numbers, where he brings his legendary gusto to an event where he introduces figures from history, and explains how we have come to understand shapes, numbers, and patterns since ancient times.

Journalist and broadcaster Paul Mason will look at the Clear Bright Future, which titles his new book, subtitled A Radical Defence of the Human Being.

He believes that humanity is being eroded and argues that it’s time to push back at the algorithms that are taking control.

The future of comedy is hosted by Phill Jupitus, stand-up, presenter, poet, and artist at the Festival of the Future Comedy Club which concentrates on new talent in stand up.

Perhaps the most surprising appearance is that of Ana Matronic, who most people will only know as the colourful frontwomen of the Scissor Sisters. Apart from presenting a live DJ set at the V&A design museum, Ana is visiting in her capacity as a transhuman activist.

“We knew that she had a particular interest in robots and technology,” says Beatt. “She’s extremely knowledgeable and has written a book on the subject. This is a great example of bringing academia and art together, as Ana will be part of a wide-ranging panel discussion on how robots are shaping the world we live in. On the panel she’ll be alongside academics from the university, as well as an alumnus of DJCAD who uses VR and AI within his artwork, and the head of a 3D printing studio.”

The stars will encourage the casual festival-goer to pick up the brochure or browse the website and hopefully find other events of interest.

THIS YEAR’S festival theme is social change and the events have been chosen with that in mind, particularly the literary events.

This is the second Festival of the Future and last year it took over the calendar slot that Dundee Literary Festival used to inhabit. The first year required some explanation of the concept. “It was important to take the good work that had been done during the years of the Dundee Literary Festival and broaden that out to a much wider perspective, incorporating much more that of what the university offers,” says Beatt.

Organisers also felt it was important to bring wide-ranging events under a banner that would give each year a theme, albeit a flexible one.

Chairing most of the book events is author Zoe Venditozzi, a familiar name across Scotland’s literary festivals and herself an alumna of the University of Dundee’s MLitt course.

Ana Matronic will be DJing at one of the events

“The four events I’m chairing are extremely diverse, but all have an element of social change,’’ says Venditozzi. ‘‘Take Kerry Hudson’s Lowborn. This is her own extremely personal story of growing up around Aberdeen in very difficult circumstances. Now, with a great deal of success as a writer, she revisits what it means to be poor in Britain today.

‘‘I also teach and many of the pupils come from similar circumstances to Kerry. It’s an inspiring story if a woman creating her own social change.”

Venditozzi will also present Jackie Jones’s Scottish Vegan Cookbook at Marwick’s, one of Dundee’s vegan cafes and Paul Mason’s event. “When I’m preparing to chair, I’ll underline passages that I want to discuss. With Paul’s book, I was underlining everything.”

Sunday National columnist Stuart Cosgrove will also be at the festival with his Soul Trilogy – Detroit 67, Memphis 68, and Harlem 69. “No-one can deny that the history of black American music is completely entwined with social change, and never more than during the years that Stuart’s books cover.”

The subject of social change is also explored by lunchtime debates that bring together academics from medicine, social sciences, and DJCAD to explore Health and Social Care, Criminal Justice and Human Rights and Fairness and Sustainability. This also provides the academics to share some of the work that goes on at the university every day.

As an example, many people won’t know that Professor Robert Steele was the driving force behind the national bowel cancer screening programme. This has had a massive impact in the number of people being screened, leading to early diagnosis and treatment and consequently greater survival statistics.

Sustainability has also been taken under the umbrella of social change and at DJCAD there will be workshops on repurposing old jewellery and also a 3D printing workshop on repurposing plastic.

“It’s true that a lot of our researchers are pretty entrenched in their own areas and some of those can be extremely niche – it’s the nature of academia.

‘‘The festival needs to find ways for them to communicate those to the public,” says Beatt, adding that it’s also important to show what the university is doing to contribute to social change and, more important, thinking ahead to what it can do in the future.

“We don’t think that a single festival can deal with that. There will be a different theme for 2020 but we hope that we can take some of the ideas from this year forward.”

FESTIVAL EVENTS at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) are pulling back the curtain and offering an insider’s view of visual effects.

For many years now, its graduates have gone on to work with major visual effects companies such as Industrial Light and Magic, responsible for the effects in massive blockbusters, from Star Wars to Marvel movies.

As Phillip Vaughan, senior lecturer and programme director at MSc Animation & VFX, explains there has been something a coup for the festival, with ILM taking the road north rather than the students heading south to find out more about the work.

“They are coming to Dundee for a workshop on how to get into the visual effects industry, but not only that they will bring a talent scout and one of our own graduates who now works with them,” says Vaughan.

“This event is open to the public and will provide not only a look at what they do, but advice on how to get into the industry and also a hands-on concept art workshop, where everyone will be able to create their own characters.”

The department will also open the doors to its Green Screen Workshop to let the public get practical experience with the equipment that has been a stable of visual effects for many years now. “It’s a chance to see exactly what this equipment can do,” says Vaughan.

He adds that the visit to the city by ILM is indicative of the shift in attitude towards the city.

As well as recruiting graduates, the company is interested to find out more about the city that has had a much-increased profile over the past few years.

“Punching above our weight is something that we’ve always done in Dundee but for people in the city I think they need to know more about the potential of careers in the industry. Careers that could be life-changing.

“I think that the events, which also include a storyboarding workshop with Mike Collins, a comic and storyboard artist who has worked on Doctor Who and is currently working on Good Omens, are also a solid way to show parents that children who say they want to work in visual effects can have a viable career in an industry that they might not have a handle on themselves.”

Festival of the Future takes place from October 16 to 20, More information on events and tickets can be booked at www.dundee.ac.uk/futurefest.