Under the theme “Science and Art”, the festival will bring together diverse disciplines with inclusivity as a foundation, aiming to reach individuals with functional or cognitive diversity and those in situations of social vulnerability.
The inauguration, held at the Bizkaia Aretoa in Bilbao, was attended by Estitxu Garai, Vice-Rector for the Bizkaia Campus and Communication at UPV/EHU; Gotzone Barandika, Vice-Rector for Transfer and Internationalization at UPV/EHU; Itziar Urtasun, Councilor for Equality and Festivals of the Bilbao City Council; Maialen Agirre, Director of Innovation for the Basque Government; and Nerea Jauregizar, Director of Social Dissemination of Research at UPV/EHU.
The Science Week has organized over 100 free activities for audiences of all ages across the four venues. A total of more than 40 txokos (workshops/corners) and 62 workshops will be offered, allowing attendees to learn about UPV/EHU's research firsthand. Additionally, there will be 12 educational itineraries, 13 exhibitions, 14 conferences, 28 Zientzia Club monologues, and various shows. Some workshops and educational itineraries still have available spots; registration can be done on the Science Week website. For other activities, access is free until full capacity.
In Bilbao, from November 3rd to 8th, 33 workshops, 21 txokos, 4 educational itineraries, 10 conferences, 8 exhibitions, and various events related to the “Science and Art” theme will be organized. Participants can learn, among other things, how artificial intelligence creates and uses language, the science behind paint colors, how biomaterials can be used in fashion and art, and how cyanotype can help represent marine biodiversity. Topics such as the visibility of women in science will also be addressed in the SheMentoring txoko. Noteworthy are the exhibition Secretos de la costa vasca: de la ciencia al arte at the Itsamuseum and the work Micromundos, micología y medicina a través del lenguaje del arte. This year, the Zientzia Club monologue show will host eight researchers at the Bizkaia Aretoa.
In Vitoria-Gasteiz, from November 4th to 8th, 18 workshops, 9 txokos, 4 educational itineraries, 3 exhibitions, and various conferences will be organized. At the Bibat Museoa, workshops related to pharmacy, forensic research, and activities intertwining magic and physics will take place. Two exhibitions combining art and science will also be available. The work Fernando G. Baptista. El explorador de la infografía científica will showcase the works of the senior infographic editor for National Geographic Magazine. The exhibition Oceanus Plasticus will feature imaginary beings representing the “monsters” generated by marine pollution. Finally, the Zientzia Club event will see seven researchers connect humor and science in their monologues.
In San Sebastián, from November 4th to 7th, 11 workshops, 12 txokos, 4 educational itineraries, and 2 exhibitions will be offered. Particularly interesting in the Gipuzkoa txoko is the space dedicated this year to sculptor Eduardo Chillida through the exhibition Grafías de arquitectura: Chillida Leku. Additionally, an architectural drawing activity will be offered, where 26 architecture students will show visitors how they reinterpret Chillida's sculptural universe through drawing. The works of artist Leonardo DaVinci will also have a presence in San Sebastián. New York-based art restorer Dianne Modestini and DIPC researcher Juan Manuel García-Ruiz will discuss the authorship of the work Salvator Mundi in the conference titled El Salvator Mundi bajo la mirada de la ciencia. Furthermore, the San Sebastián Zientzia Club will host five monologues on topics including 3D printing, sports, art, and the science of gases.
The Clara Campoamor Civic Center in Barakaldo will also host the Zientzia Club event with eight monologists. In total, Barakaldo will offer 8 txokos, 21 workshops, 8 exhibitions, 3 shows, one educational itinerary, and one conference. Topics such as virtual reality, robotics, and 3D printing will be addressed in the txokos and workshops. Additionally, the shows Hielo & Fuego and Magia, arte y ciencia will provide animation activities for students and families.
Educational center participation: In addition to the general program, nearly 4,600 students from Secondary and Baccalaureate education will visit the txokos and workshops. Driven by positive reception from previous editions and growing demand, activities organized by Science Week for educational centers have started one day earlier.
Sponsors and collaborators: To carry out these initiatives, UPV/EHU's organization relies on the collaboration and support of various institutions and agents. The Science Week is organized in collaboration with the Department of Science, University and Innovation of the Basque Government, and is sponsored by the Foral Deputations of Álava and Gipuzkoa, the city councils of Bilbao, Barakaldo, Donostia-San Sebastián, and Vitoria-Gasteiz, the Vital Foundation, and ecampus. Some activities are part of the G9EU4RESEARCH project, funded by the European Commission through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), aiming to foster research careers in Europe within the Horizon Europe framework.
