Saturday 15 - Saturday 22, 10am to 5pm (Sunday 11am - 4pm)
FREE, WITH NO NEED TO BOOK!
Measuring seven metres in diameter, Gaia features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface. The artwork provides the opportunity to see our planet on this scale, floating in three-dimensions.
The installation creates a sense of the Overview Effect, which was first described by author Frank White in 1987. Common features of the experience for astronauts are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.
Gaia Quiet Hour
Tuesday 18 February & Saturday 22 February - 4pm-5pm
A quieter chance to experience Gaia in a chilled-out atmosphere; the hall lights will be dimmed and the soundtrack will be turned off. Recommended for those with sensory processing issues.
Gaia at Twilight
Monday 17 February, Wednesday 19 February, Thursday 20 February, Friday 21 February - 4pm-5pm
A relaxed opportunity to experience Gaia as we dim the hall lights and let the soft glow of the artwork's internal illumination come into it's own.
Satuday 15 February 10am - 5pm
FREE, WITH NO NEED TO BOOK!
Join us for a joyful celebration under Gaia, with live performances, music and activities throughout the day.
FREE, WITH NO NEED TO BOOK!
Sheryll K Fox, Carol Burns and Andi Theokle are local, experienced, talented artists who will be exhibiting an eclectic mix of their paintings. Their work complements each other and yet is varied in subject and style. They will show expressionist landscapes, cheeky teddies, vibrant nudes & moving abstract paintings.
Sheryll’s paintings are inspired by movement, the undulating beauty of our ever-changing landscape, and the graceful motion of dancers. Each painting is filled with exquisite, expressive marks and texture.
Carol's art is a complex tapestry of layers and textures, creating abstract masterpieces that draw the eye into a mesmerizing depth of field. Each artwork is a journey of discovery, where new details emerge with every glance.
Andi brings a playful and bold energy with her abstract real style, producing large-scale pieces that captivate. Her art challenges conventions and invites viewers to see the world through a different lens. Each artwork is a statement, a celebration of individuality and a testament to the power of artistic expression.
The exhibition is free to enjoy, with their art available to purchase. Meet the artists, learn about their inspiration and techniques, and watch out for ‘live’ painting sessions where you can see them at work.
Saturday 15, Tuesday 18 February: 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm . 3.30pm
No booking needed
Meet collage artist Marian Hill and find out about her insect illustration project Buzz & Scuttle.
Discover how awesome UK insects are and then collage your own insect illustration.
Insects may be small & easy to overlook, but they are amazing and diverse creatures which we cannot live without. Indeed, most people are unaware of the extraordinary insects living all around us and the crucial jobs they carry out, so be prepared to be amazed by some fantastic insect facts!
Sunday 16 February: 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm
No booking needed
Have you ever touched a cloud? Have you ever smelled a strawberry cloud….or a lemon one?! At The
Cloud Factory, everyone can touch, see and hear clouds as they are made from dry ice. They’ll even smell
and taste interesting when we add in some unusual laboratory reagents!
This is a show like no other! Thanks to some specially made equipment, everyone can get hands-on in
complete safety. For some in the audience this is a purely sensory experience, but to others it is a
memorable exploration of states of matter – don’t forget to bring your camera!
This show does not contain loud bangs or flashes. It is suitable for all ages and abilities.
Sunday 16 February, 7.30pm doors for 8.00pm performance
Recommended adults and children aged 6+
Award-winning composer, pianist, and a developer of the app Shazam, Charlie Hooper-Williams invites you to find out.
Hooper-Williams welcomes you to a unique performance experience where sound and visuals come together in real time. Playing alongside Otto—a custom-built live projections system he coded—his music takes on another dimension, with visuals that respond directly to every note and gesture. The result is “film scoring inverted”, imagery supporting music rather than the other way around. This is a performance that’s both stunning and deeply human: intricate, virtuosic piano playing paired with imagery that amplifies its emotional core.
Join Charlie under Luke Jerram’s Gaia Earth artwork, for a magical performance, that redefines what a piano concert can be.
Book Here
Monday 17 February: 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm
No booking needed
Join Dr Sarah Bearchell to explore bubbles! We’ll make some big bubbles, small bubbles and explore shapes and colours too. This show becomes interactive when everyone learns some Makaton signs to share their ideas. Bubble Superstars is the perfect follow-up for children taking part in Festival of Tomorrow’s Schools’ Programme, revisiting and extending the knowledge they gained in the week.
Tuesday 18 February: 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm, 3pm
No booking needed
Listen to the world’s first eight-legged musical instrument, played by a team of improvisors, and enter a spider’s world.
Each 15-minute Sonic Spider performance take inspiration from the life of a spider.
The audience is invited to imagine the whole performance space filled with a huge web, with the Sonic Spider at its centre, and sit and listen, like her, for the unexpected as the musicians enter into her mind.
Wednesday 19 Feb: 11-11.45am; 12-12.45am; 1.15-2pm; 2.15-3pm
Recommended for ages 4-11
If you could speak to Mother Earth, what would you say?
Join award-winning children’s author, Kate Claxton, for a fun and interactive storytelling (and writing!) experience inspired by Gaia,the Greek mythological mother of Earth.
These 45 minute sessions will allow children aged 4-11 to explore thoughts, feelings, wishes and wonders of Earth, nature and all things wild, all whilst gazing up at Luke Jerram’s spectacular Gaiainstallation.
Kate will share funny and fascinating rhymes and stories of our amazing Earth to inspire your budding writers. Written on wild flower-seeded paper, our finished stories and drawings can be taken home to plant, water and nurture. Our very own gift to nature, our very own letters to Gaia!
Wednesday 19, Thursday 20, Friday 21 February: 11am-3pm
No booking needed
Make some Noise! Look out for the roaming Noise Technicians who will show you how to rock a bass riff on a distorted rubber band, or strum a beautiful melody on an egg slicer. Can you create beautiful music on upcycled e-waste? Or just a horrendous cacophony? It’s all the same to us ‘cos we like NOISE!
The Audio Assault Buggy is loaded with strange and wonderful up-cycled instruments for you to try. If you are feeling brave you can hold onto the robotic arms and attempt the infamous Noisy Toys Nose Test. Why not electrocute your friends and family too? Then everyone can win the ‘Nose Tested’ stamp.
You can hot-wire a CD ROM drive, re-create laser-blaster sounds with an amplified slinky, have a go on a motorised violin with a whammy bar and experiment with musical feedback using balloons and contact microphones. It’s all for you to try, it’s all noisy and a bit strange, just like us!
Our Noise Technicians are experts at engaging people of all ages to try out quick, easy, noisy experiments, so just listen out for funny noises and come and have a go.
Saturday 22 February: 10,30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm
No booking needed
Bring a marine monster to life! Come learn how your favourite sea creatures move, eat and protect themselves and combine all your favourite ways together through drawing to create the next best marine monster. With tons of colouring and art supplies to hand, use art a tool to learn about anatomy, ecology and marine biology and have fun creating your marine monster. This will be a fun, fact filled creative activity that you can do for 5 minutes or the full 45 minutes!
Saturday 22 February: 2.00pm
No booking needed
Get your groove on! This fun performance from Dance Roots African playfully explores dance evolution by combining traditional African dance with simple moves from modern hip-hop!
Finding the STEAM Museum
You can walk to STEAM from the Swindon Railway Station, Town Centre or Bus Station, in 10 – 15 minutes, depending on your pace.
Parking is avaiable in the Swindon Designer Outlet North Car Park, and Disabled Parking is available at the front of the museum.
To access the Festival events, walk past the main entrance to STEAM and head for the yellow Festival banners at the end of the building! The entrance to the Festival activity can be found here: https://w3w.co/waters.spins.dance
Full directions here