creating SPARKS, a national festival celebrating creativity in the arts and sciences and including the annual British Association Festival of Science, takes place in South Kensington, London SW7, September 6-30. Through more than 400 events, exhibitions and experiments in museums and institutions plus street performances on Exhibition Road, it will present the latest in engineering, genetics, technology, design, dance, sculpture and exploration. Daily activities range from a play about cloning to an exhibition of scientific automata. Highlights include: the Star Gazers’ programme featuring such luminaries as astronaut Buzz Aldrin and evolutionary biologist Professor Richard Dawkins; a science fiction festival led by Dr Who, alias Tom Baker; and a medical programme headed by Dr Jonathan Miller, covering such topics as the use of light sensitive dyes in cancer and ways of tackling drug-resistant infectious disease. London’s transport, health, housing, air pollution, water and the brains of its taxi drivers will also come under the spotlight. British Association, 23 Savile Row, London W1X 2NB. Tel: 020 7973 3055. www.alphagalileo.org
Fisher Science World, at the Manchester Marriott Hotel on May 11, will offer the chance to try out new laboratory products from Fisher Scientific. Admission, lunch, refreshments, seminar workshops and a programme of outdoor activities are all free. Discount vouchers available. Tel: 01509 555132.
ational Design and Technology Week July 3-7. Activities include: competitions, industrialists in schools initiating challenges for pupils, school and industry open days. Design and Technology Association, tel: 01789 470007.
The work of 4,000 graduating design students will be showcased in the New Designers Exhibition at the Business Design Centre, London. Part one, from July 6-9, will be devoted to furniture, product design, ceramics, jewellery, glass and contemporary applied arts. Part two, July 13-16, covers spacial design, model-making, graphic design, multimedia, lens based media textiles, illustration and fashion accessories. Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1. Tel: 020 7359 3535 www.newdesigners.com.
Schools interested in taking part in Physics on Stage, a Europe-wide programme to draw attention to best practices in physics teaching, are invited to nominate projects for a special “kitemark” by September 30. The initiative, which aims to raise standards and improve scientific literacy at all levels, is being co-ordinated by CERN, ESA and ESO (European centres for high energy physics and cosmology, space and astronomy). The highlight is an event at CERN in Geneva during European Week for Science and Technology, November 6-11, which will showcase selected projects from the 22 participating nations. Dr Steven Chapman, Physics on Stage, 76 Portland Place, London W1N 3DH. steven.chapman@iop.org.
