10 years of UEA at the Norwich Science Festival: Uncover cosmic mysteries, movie magic and the secret life of sleep

By: Communications

A boy looking closely at an orange, stuffed dog teddy through an orange device, while someone in the background is holding a grey cat teddy

This February half-term, a decade of discovery is being celebrated at the Norwich Science Festival, with a range of events for curious minds of every age.

Running from Saturday 14 to Saturday 21 February 2026, the landmark festival will mark its tenth anniversary by transforming the city into a playground of ideas – packed with hands-on experiments, mind-expanding talks and immersive family experiences.

UEA event highlights

The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a key contributor to this milestone year, delivering more than 40 free events across the eight days – including ten expert talks, five interactive workshops and 32 activity stands.

Visitors can journey to the edge of the cosmos with Dr Robert Ferdman in Journey into the Universe’s Hidden Mysteries, and uncover the surprising psychology behind blockbuster previews with Prof Keith M Johnston at The Psychology of Movie Trailers.

They can also delve into The Secret Life of Sleep with Dr Jo Bower to explore what really happens when we switch off, and reflect on their identity and wellbeing at Mirror into the Mundane with Dr Simon P Hammond.

All UEA-programmed events are free to attend, though please note that some require advance booking.

Vibrant spaces for families to explore

Families can jump into Little Clicks, Big Ideas, an interactive drop-in session designed to help parents and children better understand young people’s digital worlds.

This year also sees the launch of a vibrant new immersive space developed by UEA’s Public Events and Engagement team, who coordinate the UEA and Norwich Research Park (NRP) programme.

Moving beyond traditional trestle tables, the team has introduced a fully branded, child-friendly environment featuring the Little Lab, STEMM Studio, messy play zones and more – all designed to bring science vividly to life.

Tanner Barnes, Public Events and Engagement Manager, says: “It is a real privilege to bring the incredible research from UEA and NRP into the community. Witnessing the creativity of our academics and researchers adapting their sector-leading work into child-size activities is always a thrill.

“Where else can you play fatberg snakes and ladders, test ‘urine’ (spoiler: it’s apple juice) and microwave pinecones to see how they might react in a wildfire?”

For the full programme of events, visit the Norwich Science Festival website.

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