Beakerhead is a multi-day festival that takes place every September in Calgary, blending art with science and technology to encourage Calgarians to engage with scientific education and innovation. During Beakerhead, visitors can experience interactive art exhibitions, engineering installations, participate in various workshops and competitions, writes calgaryski.net.
Event History
The festival was first held from September 11–15, 2013, and brought together students, scientists, artists, engineers, local residents, and tourists across both indoor and outdoor venues throughout the city. Stephen Avenue was transformed into a fun exhibition featuring street science experiments. There was also a 24-hour engineering competition where students from Canada, the US, and Europe competed in inventiveness. The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra prepared theatrical and musical performances.
In the evenings, there were dance parties, outdoor installations like a 9-foot laser cat and Tesla coil music that shot lightning.
The following year, the festival took place at the same time but was one day shorter. The highlight of that year was a mini neighborhood with interactive structures, including a human-sized nest and an inflatable giant lotus. The laser cat was 16 feet tall and illuminated the outdoor dance floor. Stephen Avenue again became a venue for street science experiments.
Ghost River Theatre presented an adaptation of one of Ray Bradbury’s works. Also featured was Canada’s first Ferris-wheel dining experience, where guests enjoyed meals from renowned chef Nicole Gomez.
Three Viennese artists created a self-supporting structure, Net Blow-Up, which people could climb.
Held from September 16–20, 2015, one of the main attractions was a giant sandbox. Attendees also saw an open gallery of engineering art installations, such as five huge rabbits created by Australian artist Amanda Parer and an inflatable interplanetary ship. Famous scientists held interesting talks at night, while evening dance parties featured games like Skee-Ball and large-scale 3D projections.
The 2016 festival, held from September 14–18, featured a 30-foot interactive audio-visual spaceship and giant octopus tentacles.
From September 13–17, 2017, the city turned into a massive game of “Snakes and Ladders.” Giant green tentacles appeared from buildings, resembling the classic board game.
From September 19–23, 2018, the festival featured a giant swing exhibit aimed at raising awareness of climate change. On opposite sides of a wooden board were trees that rose and fell, demonstrating humanity’s ability to alter nature’s course.
Held from September 18–22, 2019, a 35-foot white bear sculpture made from car hoods highlighted the greatest threat to polar bears—climate change. Additionally, the local artist group True North Absurdities brought two fire-breathing interactive sculptures.
The festival was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Educational Programs
Beakerhead aims not only to organize exciting events to increase interest in science and technology but also works with the education system, from kindergarten to 12th grade.
In 2015, Beakerhead collaborated with 104 participating schools to teach children how to combine artistic and scientific skills. The program included field trips, creativity challenges, and science rap battles.