Powering Up Science Festival

Scottish Maritime Museum, Castle Street, Dumbarton

10am – 4pm FREE
Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 May

After last year’s success, the Scottish Maritime Museum in Dumbarton is gearing up for the Powering Up Science Festival, which returns on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May with an even bigger programme of FREE family activities, challenges and fun!

The Scottish Maritime Museum and event partners invite everyone to come along and have a blast discovering their inner scientist or engineer over the FREE weekend, which takes place within marquees in the courtyard of the Scottish Maritime Museum (Denny Tank) on Castle Street in Dumbarton between 10am – 4pm each day.

Visitors will be able to choose from even more stands at this year’s festival, which is once again supported by National Museums Scotland’s Powering Up renewable energy outreach programme, which is generously funded by the ScottishPower Foundation.

The national science initiative, Powering Up has been created to inspire more young people in Scotland to consider a future career in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) industries.

As well as enjoying activities with the Scottish Maritime Museum and National Museums Scotland teams, visitors will thrill to activities and challenges led by Industrial Museums Scotland/ National Mining Museum Scotland, Peachy Keen Human Energy, Aerospace Kinross, RSPB, University of the West of Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland.

Amongst the activities and challenges, visitors will be able to try their hand at Pop Pop heat engine boat racing, test their own model wind turbine designs, discover steam engineering in action, construct a hydro-powered dam with LEGO® bricks, discover what curiously named robot blocks and Whirly Birds are all about and stretch their legs to create some serious cycle-power to move water and much more.

There will also be FREE entry to the Scottish Maritime Museum throughout the weekend to enjoy too!

Visitors can pop in and explore the Museum’s new Engage, Experiment, Engineer gallery and ‘Style at Sea’ exhibition charting the golden era of ocean liners.

They can also join a free guided tour of the vast Victorian Denny Tank, the world’s longest surviving ship model testing tank and an integral part of the former William Denny shipyard on which the Museum stands.

Announcing the Powering Up Science Festival, Jamie Menzies, Learning and Access Officer at the Scottish Maritime Museum, says: 

“Inspired by the scientific innovation of the world-renowned William Denny and Brothers shipyard on which site the Museum stands today, the Powering Up Science Festival promises to be a fantastic day out for visitors of all ages and it’s free. Come along and join the Museum team and our fabulous event partners as we roll our sleeves up for some cool science and awesome hands on activities.”

Ann McKechin, Executive Officer and Trustee at ScottishPower Foundation, added:

“Young people will play a pivotal role in our country’s sustainable future, which is why it’s so important to foster learning at events such as the Powering Up Science Festival. The sessions are fun and engaging and we hope they inspire the next generation to consider a career in STEM.”

For more information, visit www.scottishmaritimemuseum.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

ScottishPower Foundation
The ScottishPower Foundation is a registered Scottish charity (SC043862) and a company limited by guarantee (SC445116). The Foundation’s aim is to make a significant and lasting contribution to society and enhance the quality of life in local communities. It provides funding to registered charities for the following purposes: the advancement of education; the advancement of environmental protection; the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science; the prevention or relief of poverty and the relief of those in need by reason of disability or other disadvantage; the advancement of citizenship and community development.

National Museums Scotland
National Museums Scotland is one of the leading museum groups in the UK and Europe and it looks after collections of national and international importance. The organisation provides loans, partnerships, research and training in Scotland and internationally. Our individual museums are the National Museum of Scotland, the National Museum of Flight, the National Museum of Rural Life and the National War Museum. The National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh houses conservation and research facilities as well as collections not currently on display.

 About Powering Up

• Powering Up began in June 2017 and over the past year, thanks to a £150,000 funding boost from the ScottishPower Foundation, National Museums Scotland has delivered workshops to schools in multiple deprivation areas situated throughout Midlothian, South Lanarkshire and West Dumbartonshire, and extended the reach of STEM activity across the country through community events, science festivals, family activities and a schools engagement programme exploring renewable energy. As part of the 2018 funding donation from the Foundation, National Museums Scotland has extended the reach of the Powering Up programme to more schools in rural areas, facilitating more young people learning interactively through its workshops.
• As well as funding to deliver practical support with science workshops, the ScottishPower Foundation’s funding has also enabled National Museums to employ a Science Engagement Manager and a Science Engagement and Outreach Assistant to build external partnerships with researchers, scientists, engineers and schools.