Cork SpaceFest ‘set to ignite curiosity and creativity’

The programme for this year’s SpaceFest will run across Cork city and county from November 8 to 15.

Funded by Taighde Éireann (Research Ireland) and run by Greywood Arts, SpaceFest encourages more than 6,500 visitors each year to explore space through science, technology, engineering, art, and maths.

The week features experiments, tours, and workshops, in venues including the Marina Market, Blackrock Castle Observatory, Liberty, Greywood Arts, and University College Cork (UCC). 

The main exhibition, titled Lunar Distance, is a free event at the Marina Market from Saturday, November 8 to Wednesday, November 12. 

Through more than a dozen exhibits, visitors can learn what cows have to do with satellites, listen to voice notes from space, and record their own message.

Jessica Bonenfant, creative director at Greywood Arts, said: 

“This year’s SpaceFest is set to ignite curiosity and creativity, showing how art and science together can bring the wonder of the cosmos closer to home. From rocketry workshops to an immersive installation of myriad moons, the festival brings together incredible scientists and acclaimed artists to make space accessible, exciting, and educational for festival-goers. Whether visitors want to come explore Lunar Distance at the Marina Market or book in for tours and workshops in Midleton and the city, SpaceFest offers something for everyone who’s ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what’s out there.”

Other events include Build a Rocket in Your Own Back Garden on November 11, at 6pm at UCC, and Beyond the Visible: An Evening of Art, Astronomy and Alcohol, with astrophysicist and mixologist Alfredo Carpineti at 6pm on November 9 at Blackrock Castle Observatory.

An Out of This Zine! workshop will be held on November 15 at 10am, at Greywood Arts, Killagh, and free private tours of UCC’s historic 1881 Crawford Observatory on November 11, at 6pm and 7pm.