The City of Hobart is the home for Bright Ideas

Published on 18 August 2022

The City of Hobart as a centre for knowledge and learning is again on display, with the Festival of Bright Ideas out to discover our next batch of budding scientists.

Starting on Friday for school groups and then concluding on Saturday with an open public day, the event is science for the curious and the creative.

Hobart born and bred Antarctic seismology PhD student Niam Askey-Doran, 24, will be speaking and performing demonstrations at the Festival’s Young Tassie Scientists stall.

“We are there to excite and inspire people to be interested in science,” Mr Askey-Doran said.

“We are all career researchers who are very passionate in our work, and we want to be able to spread that passion and show that scientists are really normal people just like them.”

He said August was a strong demonstration of the impact of science on Hobart through the recently concluded Beaker Street Festival followed by the Festival of Bright Ideas (starting August 19) and then the Antarctic Festival (starting August 24).

All these events receive funding from the City of Hobart.

The Festival of Bright Ideas is expected to attract about 5500 visitors has been awarded a $20,000 Events Grant.

It is the sixth time the Festival has received City of Hobart funding.

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said such events highlighted the value of science to the Capital city.

“The growing Antarctic and Southern Ocean sector is worth almost $160m to Tasmania and employs 950 people,” Cr Reynolds said.

“Hobart has the highest concentration of Antarctic and marine scientists in the world – and we hope to continue this trend well into the future by inspiring the next batch of Hobart scientists through such wonderful events like the Festival of Bright Ideas.”

The Festival of Bright Ideas is on Friday for school groups and Saturday to the public from 9am to 4.30pm at Princess Wharf No.1.