Past Forward: Press conference launches latest edition of Science in the City

30,000+ yearly attendees, 600 volunteers, 90 participating organisations, 80 researchers, 15+ local and international acts: Science in the City is back to inspire and thrill its audience for its 14th edition with a new theme, plenty of performances and loads of new experiments.

On Friday, 26 and Saturday, 27 September, Valletta’s Triton Fountain, Sala San Duminku, and the adjacent Duttrina Hall will transform into vibrant hubs of science and arts. Buzzing with discovery, creativity, and community, the festival is a wonderful opportunity for scientists, artists and citizens to collaborate and explore relevant research themes through artistic expression.

“Science in The City works with art & expression to increase public understanding of research in Malta. Arts do not only raise discussions about scientific developments, they also shine a critical lens on science, allowing for new forms of expression and innovation in STEAM.” Said Dr Edward Duca, the Festival Coordinator, who was also keen to highlight Science in The City’s commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. “Giving different individuals the space to give their opinions and share their research findings gives credence to the principles of Open Science, International Cooperation, and promoting transdisciplinary learning. Our festival works with over 90 diverse entities. We believe in the engagement and involvement of diverse people across multiple platforms with research in Malta and Gozo”.

Alongside a commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, community engagement is at the heart of Science in the City’s values and success, and this year, the community is involved like never before. “Earlier this year, we launched a call on social media to establish a new theme for the 2025 festival. We did so to foster greater community involvement, spark creativity, and ensure the theme reflects a wide range of perspectives and interests. By inviting everyone to contribute ideas, we sought to encourage a sense of ownership and excitement around the event. This co-creative approach gave us "Past Forward”, said Karen Fiorini, festival manager. 

Under the theme ‘Past Forward’, this year’s festival reflects on the ways in which lessons from past achievements and shortcomings continue to inform transformative innovation, creativity, and action. It further emphasises the indispensable role of education within the STEAM disciplines in nurturing, sustaining, and advancing these ideas, ensuring their ongoing impact on future generations.

Echoing the festival’s theme, the street-festival stand “Science Through Time” depicts an epic journey from the origins of life to its possible futures, explained Roxanne Mangion, who attended on behalf of Esplora Interactive Science Centre, Xjenza Malta. Matthew Grima, on behalf of Heritage Malta, introduced their stand for this year’s street festival – “Using Science to Unravel the Past” which exhibits 360-degree footage that offers a closer look at shipwrecks scattered across the seabed. Both these stands highlight the prevalence of interactivity and hands-on-learning that will be on offer at this year’s street festival which will take place on the 26 and 27 September, at Valletta’s Triton fountain. Access the link with details about the Street festival.

Running parallel to the street festival, there will be live performances and workshops at Sala San Duminku, and the adjacent Duttrina which will engage, educate, and empower visitors. For example, “Sub_Bar”, a sensory performance by artist Francesco Spaggiari, transforms the way we experience music. This event invites both deaf and hearing audiences to feel sound through deep vibrations and sub-frequencies, experienced not through the ears, but through the body. Another event, “The Science Wheel” by returning artist Sean Briffa, is a science theatre adventure in which the audience shapes the direction of the narrative through their creative decisions. These activities are supported by the Arts Council Malta (performance festival).

Kathryn Baldacchini, an Independent Consultant & Anti-Trafficking specialist was also in attendance for the press conference. Accompanied by an artwork from Catalan artist Pep Walls, Kathryn launched a trio of events which will stretch across the pre-festival, and the street festival. These events will use dynamic artworks and historical documents to explore how past experiences of slavery in Malta continue to manifest in a modern context through the exploitation and human trafficking of society’s most vulnerable. Pre-festival events will run from the 30 August to the 25 September. Access details about the free events. 

Other speakers at the press conference included Hon. Owen Bonnici, Malta’s Minister for Culture, Lands and Local Government who said that: “All these events will serve to highlight the significant role that both the arts and sciences play in fostering a vibrant and innovative society through the powerful messages conveyed, especially the message of freedom of artistic expression”.

Minister for Education, Sports, Youth, Research & Innovation, Hon. Clifton Grima, emphasised that “education is the key to translating complex concepts to a general audience, to building foundational skills equipping young individuals to engage actively rather than passively, with these activities, and how it provides continuous opportunities for learners to keep ideas alive over time.”

Prof. Alexandra Bonnici from the Malta Chamber of Scientists mentioned how “Events such as Science in the City are important because they create a platform for scientists and researchers to share their work with a broad audience. This not only allows the public to understand how research grants are contributing to knowledge and innovation, but also provides visibility to the wide range of research taking place on our islands.”

UM Rector, Prof. Alfred J. Vella expressed his satisfaction at the high quality of this festival, saying that “the festival’s commitment to delivering well-curated experiences ensures that not just the audience leaves inspired and enriched, but also the participants and researchers themselves. This is reflected in the continued motivation to keep exploring further the intersections of science and the arts.”

The name ‘Science in the City’ has come a long way in educating its ever-growing audience about how to sustain their curiosity and creativity. The first edition of Science in The City was held in 2012 with a grand total of 12,000 attendees. Since then, the festival has grown in vision and scale culminating in a staggering 33,000 visitors last year - over 5% of the total population of the Maltese Islands. 

Visit the website for the full programme of events, for a list of participants and for more information about this year’s festival.

Co-Funded by the European Union’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme. Grant Agreement No 101162176. The Past Forward Performance festival is supported by the Art Council Malta's Arts Support Scheme. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. It is recognised by Europe for Festivals and Festivals for Europe (EFFE).

The Science in the City consortium is led by the University of Malta and the Malta Chamber of Scientists, in partnership with the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation​, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation, Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works, Arts Council Malta, Malta Enterprise, Life Sciences Park, Institute for Methods Innovation, Esplora, APS Bank, tech.mt, PBS, Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta Design Cluster, Valletta Cultural Agency, The Bio Arte Limited, Queen Mary University of London, SEM, European Parliament, La Roche Posay, Green Pak, AcquaBioTech Group, MCAST, Mighty Boards, MED-WET, Piscopo Gardens, Trust Stamp Ltd., Storm Design, Tech MT and the Floriana and Valletta Local Councils.