A fusion of activities for Gravity Fields as Grantham festival goes virtual
Gravity Fields will go digital for 2020 after the Grantham arts and science festival was forced to be cancelled over Covid-19.
The festival was due to begin yesterday (Thursday) and draw to a close on Sunday, but instead it will be replaced by a day of science-based online activities tomorrow (Saturday).
The Gravity Fields Online Day will include a selection of talks and challenges mixed in with messages from patrons and highlights from previous Gravity Fields festivals. Various events will be premiered on YouTube and Facebook, as well as held on the Zoom video meeting app.
The festival day will also present science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) activities in association with STEM East Midlands that audiences can download and enjoy at home.
Tune into the Gravity Fields festival YouTube channel tomorrow or go to www.gravityfields.co.uk
- 2pm: Online premiere of A Science Rapper’s Guide to the Solar System, presented by Jon Chase of Rap Science
A tour of the solar system with a difference! Join science presenter Jon Chase as he explains just how extreme our solar system can be, through the use of science-based raps that you can join in with at home. He’ll be answering questions like: How big is the solar system? How puny is Pluto? How cold is a crater? What’s the smelliest planet? Caution: contains facts of a humorous nature. Featuring raps written for the BBC, this show is both informative and entertaining. Suitable for families and children aged six and over.
A live Q&A with Jon via Zoom follows at 3pm. Book for the Q&A at www.guildhallartscentre.com
- 4pm: SK Creative Colour Challenge
In the 1660s Sir Isaac Newton began experimenting with sunlight and prisms. While he was experimenting at home at Woolsthorpe Manor, near Grantham – keeping away from the plague in a kind of 17th century lockdown – he discovered that white light was made up of the colours of the rainbow. Inspired by Newton’s experiments with light, orgnaisers are launching a brand new photographic Creative Colour Challenge open to all residents of South Kesteven and beyond. The challenge will be launched online as part of the day and will lead to the creation of some special and completely original SK flags.
- 4.30pm: Newton in Lockdown
Another chance to see specially commissioned short films in which Sir Isaac Newton (AKA actor Mark Griffin from Griffin Historical) shares his wisdom and advice. Sir Isaac will even be showing you how to do your own experiment to ‘split white light’. Episode one is ‘Quarantine Adventures’, episode two ‘All the Colours of the Rainbow’ and episode three ‘Hit on the Head with an Apple’.
- 5pm: STEM ambassador event, in association with STEM East Midlands
STEM ambassadors are welcomed to a networking event to discuss how events such as Gravity Fields have an impact on young people’s lives and the community’s understanding of the importance of STEM. Anyone with an interest in science, technology engineering and maths is welcome to this event. Book a place at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gravity-fields-online-day-stem-ambassador-networking-session-tickets-120369944745
- 7pm: Marcus du Sautoy presents ‘The Creativity Code: How AI is learning to write, paint and think’
In this live online talk, based on his bestselling book, Marcus examines the nature of creativity, as well as describing how algorithms work, and the mathematical rules underpinning them. Marcus finds out how long it might be before machines come up with something creative, and whether they might jolt us into being more imaginative in turn. Marcus is Simonyi professor for the public understanding of science in Oxford.
