22nd – 25th April 2010

www.shrewsburycartoonfestival.com

Magic, Myth & Mystery

DarwinFestival

2010DarwinFestival

12th - 14th February 2010

Lectures • Exhibitions • ArtWalks • Special Events

www.discoverdarwin.co.uk

3.00pm Wildlife Trust HQ

The Wonderful World of WormsTake part in a worm dance. Have a go at Darwin’s worm experiments. Make a worm puppet or a bookmark to take home.

5.00pm St Julian’s CentreThe Kew Gardens Lecture

Carnivorous Plant Relationships & EvolutionProfessor Mark Chase, Keeper of the Jodrell Laboratory, Kew Gardens.

Charles Darwin loved natural history and he wrote many books about the subject, including one on the subject of carnivorous plants, which asked many questions about their structure and diversity.

In this lecture, Professor Mark Chase expands on some of Darwin’s groundbreaking ideas. He also illustrates how recent advances in molecular biology have begun to answer some questions on the evolution and definition of these fascinating groups of insect-eating plants; for instance, are there more carnivorous plants out there than we think? (14 years and up)

£5 on the door

7.30pm The Old Post Office, Milk Street

Shrewsbury’s premiere comedy review team presents the ‘true’ story of Charles Darwin Comedy, Beards, Songs, Beards, Beards and Beards.

Caution: Contains strong language and scenes of mild evolution.www.darwinshow.com

£5 on the door

11.00am Wildlife Trust HQ (Car park entrance)

Nature WalkBlow away the cobwebs with a winter walk along the wildlife corridor of the Rea Brook. Please wear sensible footwear and dress appropriately.

Free – booking essential 01743 284 280

Festival Shop Shrewsbury Museum and Art GalleryRowley’s House, Barker Street, Shrewsbury SY1 1QH

CARGO OF CURIOSITIESImagine what treasures Charles Darwin returned home with at the end of his extraordinary five-year voyage. Inspired by this notion Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery has created a unique shopping experience promoting local suppliers, British design & fairly traded goods. This special shop offers a wealth of gifts and collectibles to enchant and entertain.

Displayed against a backdrop of period packing crates, baskets and barrels, visitors to the Museum will find fossil specimens and exquisite shells, duckbilled platypus and cuddly dodos, musical instruments, beetles, birds, baskets, toys, tortoises, hand crafted jewellery, gems and more…

Open from Saturday 21st November to Saturday 13th February 2010, Mon – Sat 10.00am to 5.00pm

PLUS free activities for families – special Young Collector’s trails through the

museum galleries (with prizes!)

01743 281205 • www.shropshire.gov.uk

2.30pm Shrewsbury Theatre SevernDarwin Memorial LectureThe Friends of Shrewsbury Museums

Filling in the Gaps - Black, Erasmus Darwin and the Midlands Jaunt Of 1788Dr Robert Anderson former director of the British Museum.

Recently Dr Anderson has been researching into eighteenth century science with particular reference to Scotland. The focus of this talk will be on Joseph Black, the founder of thermochemistry, and his links with scientists in England of this period including Erasmus Darwin.

£10 booking essential 01743 281 281

Market Hall

DarwinShopping

Centre

Pride HillRiverside

Mall

ParadeShopping

CentrePride HillShopping

Centre

ST CH

AD'S TERRACE

T O W N W A L L S

SMITHF I E

LD R O A D

Library

Bear Steps Gallery

PRIDE HILL

RailwayStation

BusStation

The QuarryPark

Charles Darwin's Birthplace

SABC Guildhall

The Hive

Howard Street

St Chad's Church OMH

Castle

ST MARY'S STREET

CASTLE GAT

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ShropshireArchives

BELMONT

BELLE VUE

LONGDEN

COLEHAM

WY L E C O P

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THE MOUNT

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St Julian FriarsFootbridge

KingslandToll Bridge

HIGH ST

English Bridge

THESQUARE

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ShropshireWildlifeTrust HQ

Welsh Bridge

Footbridge

Darwin’s GateMorrisHall

Museum &Art Gallery

Theatre Severn

St Julian’s CentreOld Post O�ce

DarwinGeogarden

Festival Enquiries: 0345 678 9000

To discover more about Darwin’s Shrewsbury and for information on

short breaks log on to:

www.discoverdarwin.co.uk

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Welcome to seventh annual Shrewsbury Darwin Festival. What an incredible year it has been. Over the past few months we’ve enjoyed a host of different responses to Darwin’s life and ideas and we’ve welcomed visitors from around the world to Darwin’s hometown.

As the dust settles from the bicentennial party, we set our sights firmly on the future.

This year sees another innovation as the festival squeezes itself into a long weekend. We hope to encourage many more visitors to Shrewsbury as a consequence. An equal amount of emphasis this year will be on the young.

Around half our programming is aimed directly at students. Comedy makes a welcome return to the festival just to underline that we’ve never lost our sense of humour. We’ll also be challenging the current interpretation or perhaps misinterpretation of Darwin’s central ideas.

Thanks to all our partners and volunteers and thanks to you for coming. I hope to see you around during festival weekend.

Jon King Founding Director of the Shrewsbury Darwin Festival

12 noon Morris Hall Courtyard

Darwin Birthday Toast & WalkAfter drinking our annual toast to Darwin, why not join the Festival Director for a

guided walk around the town centre sites that the young naturalist knew so well.

Darwin Walk, approximately 1½ hours

Free Event – places on walk limited – booking essential 01743 281 200

7.30pm St Julian’s Centre

St Julian’s Lecture Charles Darwin and the enigma of evil Dr. Chris Sinkinson, BA MA PhD

For centuries Christians have wrestled with the problem of evil and suffering in creation. This talk will consider the way that Darwin confronted these problems, tried to resolve them and the issues this posed for the church.

£5 on the door

The Wildlife Trust HQ will be open to all from 10.00am to 4.00pm, please bring a parent if you’re under 18. There are set times for workshops but displays and activities continue throughout the day.

Free entry, but some activities may carry a small charge

11.00am & 1.00pm Wildlife Trust HQ

The Big Mix There’s life everywhere if you know where to look.

Discover what you’ve been missing and where to find

it in a series of workshops with the Field Studies Council.

Sessions last approx 75 minutes

10.00am Wildlife Trust HQ

Monsters In Your GardenThese popular sessions make a welcome return to the Festival. Discover some of the thousands of minibeasts that inhabit your own backyard. Explore miniature worlds and undertake your own minibeast safari.

11.00am St Julian’s Centre

The Selfish GeniusDr Fern Elsdon Baker author and Head of the British Council’s Darwin Now project in conversation with Toby Green of The Independent.

When does defence of scientific theory become entrenchment?Has Darwin been hijacked?Was Wallace the first neo-Darwinist?

Dr Elsdon Baker has written a powerful book questioning the approach of Richard Dawkins to defending Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection. She suggests that his ‘zero tolerance’ attitude to religion has had the reverse effect by becoming a recruiting call for proponents of intelligent design and creationism. She also argues that it has inflamed what is in essence an unnecessary conflict between Science & Faith.

£5 on the door

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Café Sci

Making A Difference – Saving The RainforestPauline Fisk, author of ‘In the Trees’ a novel about the gap year experience set in the rainforest of Belize.

Erika Berengeur (Brazil) – Researcher for the Greenpeace Amazon Cattle Campaign.

Want to save the world?

Who says there’s no point in trying?Come and be inspired.

Short presentations followed by group discussion.

Free Admission – contribution towards refreshments appreciated Ages 14 to 20 years

1.00pm St Julian’s CentreSociety of Biology Lecture

Our Chance To SeeDr Gary Skinner A personal view on the importance of Biodiversity, from an educator and wildlife photographer. An illustrated talk with stunning images from his many trips to such places as Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Arizona & South Africa.

£5 on the door

2.00pm Wildlife Trust HQ

Let it RotShropshire CompostersThe secret life of the compost heap. What’s going on in there?

A hidden world brimming with insect life or a super efficient factory for converting waste into turbo-charged fertiliser? Find out how to make your own mean, green, recycling machine.

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