Thanks to generous funding from Scottish Power Foundation, the Live Science team at Techniquest were able to develop a brand-new show for their Science Theatre that took audiences on a virtual deep dive, learning all about oceans and the amazing creatures that live in them. The show covered topics such as the warming of the seas, the impact of plastic pollution and gave an insight into the stunning complexities of the marine environment, focusing on what could be done to preserve it for future generations.
Along with the shows in the Science Theatre, visitors could also spend time in the Planetarium dome watching a 360° immersive, animated film that presented information about sea life and the harm caused by ocean pollution in a family-friendly way.
Hands-on workshops in the KLA Lab and live science ‘busking’ on the exhibition floor completed the experience, alongside all of the usual interactive exhibits that the science discovery centre offers year round.
Lesley Kirkpatrick, CEO of Techniquest said:
“It was a real pleasure to welcome so many visitors into the centre this summer and to share something with them about our precious ocean environment. It’s such an important subject to cover, particularly now as we’ve seen sea temperatures climbing to unprecedented levels this year. Being able to pass on some of our knowledge in a family-appropriate way, to encourage the younger generation to play their part in protecting that environment, is a privilege — we hope that many of them will have taken away something they remember from their visit that will make a positive difference to all our futures.”
As part of the funding from Scottish Power Foundation, a limited number of free tickets have been made available to both schools and the general public, to spend time on the exhibition floors and to see the Ocean Extravaganza live science show in the theatre.
The Head of Education for Techniquest, Andrea Meyrick added:
“Although the majority of these tickets have already been used, a few still remain to be claimed — so if you are involved in education and would like your class to be considered for some of these, or if, as a member of the general public you would like to find out whether or not you live in a postcode area that may make you eligible for complimentary tickets this September, please get in touch by email via [email protected].”
Ocean Extravaganza will continue at Techniquest for another three weeks, running from Wednesdays to Fridays for schools, and for the public on weekends. More details can be found at techniquest.org.
