NZ International Science Festival
NZ International Science Festival: Science on the Cube
Pop into the library and enjoy a variety of short films about science and nature, produced by students, alumni and faculty of the University of Otago’s Centre for Science Communication, home of the world’s leading programme for Science and Natural History Filmmaking.
Daily screenings on loop during Library opening hours.
The Cube, Ground floor, Dunedin City Library
Thursday 8th July – Sunday 18th July
FREE
NZ International Science Festival: Creative Connections
Reconnect with your creativity at our science-themed craft table.
Offered Daily throughout the NZ International Science Festival.
Suitable for children of all ages and families
Saturday 10th July – Friday 16th July (library opening hours 11am-4pm weekends/9.30am-8pm weekdays)
Children's area, Ground Floor, Dunedin City Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival: Read & Do Bundles
Books to read and activities to do!
These bundles, with a science theme, will be available from the Dunedin City Library throughout the Festival. Call in and collect your surprise bundle to take home.
Saturday 10th July – Friday 16th July (open daily 9.30am-8pm weekdays/11am-4pm weekends)
Children’s area, Ground Floor, Dunedin City Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival: Science Storytime Special
Bring the family and have a blast at our Science-themed Storytime.
Suitable ages 4-8
Monday 12th July, 10.30am
Children's Storypit, Ground Floor, Dunedin City Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival: Shark Spy Talk
Join shark expert Rob Lewis as he takes you into the amazing world of our local sharks!
Rob will be sharing recent data from the Shark Spy citizen science project, and you will find out how you can help us find out about our local shark diversity!
Monday 12th July, 5.30pm
Dunningham Suite, 4th Floor, Dunedin City Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival: About the Heart
Learn how your heart works and why it sometimes beats slow and other times feels like it is going to burst out of your chest! Did you know it can still beat outside your body?
Through a hands-on interactive session, we'll learn all about hearts and answer questions such as: How does the heart work? What makes the heart beat? Is a mouse heart the same as a whale heart? Can we measure what happens when you exercise?
Tuesday 13th July, 10am & 1pm
Dunningham Suite, 4th Floor, Dunedin City Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival @ South D: Aquavan Adventures - Coastal Connections
Connect to your coast with the Aquavan and staff from the NZ Marine Studies Centre!
Find out about the important connections between our mountains and the coast and meet some amazing local critters at our mobile touch tank.
Suitable for children 9-12 years old.
Limited places (30 max)
Tuesday 13th July, 11am
South Dunedin Library, 199 Hillside Road
FREE
NZ International Science Festival @ South D: Aquavan Adventures – Amazing Adaptations
Our local marine species have some amazing ways for surviving along the wet and wild Otago coast!
Get hands on with the Aquavan and staff from the NZ Marine Studies Centre, learning about crab feeding strategies and how they protect themselves. Then meet some marine critters at our mobile touch tank!
Suitable for children 4-8 years old.
Booking essential (SOLD OUT)
Tuesday 13th July, 1.30pm-2.30pm
South Dunedin Library, 199 Hillside Road
FREE
NZ International Science Festival: Lego Creations
Join Captain Lego and get some inspiration to create your next amazing Lego creation.
Suitable all ages
Tuesday 13th & 15th July, 2pm-4pm
Children’s Storypit, Ground Floor, Dunedin City
FREE
NZ International Science Festival: Lines & Wines, a scientific playreading
Suitcase Theatre and Dunedin Public Libraries are pleased to present a special NZ International Science Festival edition of Lines & Wines.
Join us to hear (or choose to participate in reading) a science-themed play.
This is a play reading, rather than a stage performance, and audience participation is very much encouraged.
Light refreshments provided
Tuesday 13th July, 6pm
Dunningham Foyer, 4th Floor, Dunedin City Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival @Mosgiel Library: About the Heart
Learn how your heart works and why it sometimes beats slow and other times feels like it is going to burst out of your chest! Did you know it can still beat outside your body?
Through a hands-on interactive session, we'll learn all about hearts and answer questions such as: How does the heart work? What makes the heart beat? Is a mouse heart the same as a whale heart? Can we measure what happens when you exercise?
Limited places (25 max)
Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult
Wednesday 14th July, 10am-11am
Mosgiel Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival @ South D: Aquavan Adventures - Coastal Connections
Connect to your coast with the Aquavan and staff from the NZ Marine Studies Centre!
Find out about the important connections between our mountains and the coast and meet some amazing local critters at our mobile touch tank.
Suitable for children 9-12 years old.
Limited places (30 max)
Wednesday 14th July, 11am
South Dunedin Library, 199 Hillside Road
FREE
NZ International Science Festival: Rubik Rumble
Get in the Pit and Rubik! Bring your Rubik skills (and cube) and beat the clock. Fastest time wins a Rubik-related prize.
Plus a chance to meet the LUGO Rubik-solving robot!
Suitable all ages
Wednesday 14th July, 11am-12pm
Children’s Storypit, Ground Floor, Dunedin City Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival @Port Chalmers Library: About the Heart
Learn how your heart works and why it sometimes beats slow and other times feels like it is going to burst out of your chest! Did you know it can still beat outside your body?
Through a hands-on interactive session, we'll learn all about hearts and answer questions such as: How does the heart work? What makes the heart beat? Is a mouse heart the same as a whale heart? Can we measure what happens when you exercise?
Limited places (25 max)
Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult
Wednesday 14th July, 12noon-1pm
Port Chalmers Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival @ South D: Aquavan Adventures – Amazing Adaptations
Our local marine species have some amazing ways for surviving along the wet and wild Otago coast!
Get hands on with the Aquavan and staff from the NZ Marine Studies Centre, learning about crab feeding strategies and how they protect themselves. Then meet some marine critters at our mobile touch tank!
Suitable for children 4-8 years old.
Booking essential (SOLD OUT)
Wednesday 14th July, 1.30pm-2.30pm
South Dunedin Library, 199 Hillside Road
FREE
NZ International Science Festival: Build a Bot
Come and work with Captain Lego to build a robot out of Lego. Limited places available.
Booking essential (SOLD OUT)
Suitable for children aged 8+
Wednesday 14th July, 2pm-4pm
Makerspace, 2nd floor, Dunedin City Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival @Waikouaiti Library: About the Heart
Learn how your heart works and why it sometimes beats slow and other times feels like it is going to burst out of your chest! Did you know it can still beat outside your body?
Through a hands-on interactive session, we'll learn all about hearts and answer questions such as: How does the heart work? What makes the heart beat? Is a mouse heart the same as a whale heart? Can we measure what happens when you exercise?
Limited places (20 max)
Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult
Wednesday 14th July, 3pm-4pm
Waikouaiti Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival: Dogs and Science Working Together
The use of dogs as a diagnostic tool is not new. For thousands of years, humans have recognised the unique capabilities of canines and utilised those abilities to assist in their daily lives.
This talk will explore the history of the dog and its adaptation to living with humans. Understanding the comparison between the human and canine olfactory system will show why canines have become such a valuable asset within our communities. We will outline of the ground-breaking work of K9 Medical Detection New Zealand using the extraordinary canine sensory abilities as enormous potential within the health system to produce an early, non-invasive alternative diagnostic test for cancer.
Wednesday 14th July, 5.30pm
Dunningham Suite, 4th Floor, Dunedin City Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival @ Mosgiel Library: Fight Like a Physicist
Channel your inner physics ninja in this fun interactive workshop. Learn how to use classical mechanics principles to vanquish your opponent.
In this fun, interactive workshop, you will be working hands-on with other participants to explore some of the principles of physics that are useful in martial arts. No experience with either physics or karate is necessary.
Wear comfortable clothing, bring a water bottle, and plenty of enthusiasm.
Suitable all ages
Limited places (25 max)
Thursday 15th July, 10am-11am
Mosgiel Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival @ Mosgiel Library: Aquavan Adventures - Coastal Connections
Connect to your coast with the Aquavan and staff from the NZ Marine Studies Centre!
Find out about the important connections between our mountains and the coast and meet some amazing local critters at our mobile touch tank.
Suitable for children 9-12 years old.
Limited places (30 max)
Thursday 15th July, 11.15am
Mosgiel Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival @ Mosgiel: Aquavan Adventures – Amazing Adaptations
Our local marine species have some amazing ways for surviving along the wet and wild Otago coast!
Get hands on with the Aquavan and staff from the NZ Marine Studies Centre, learning about crab feeding strategies and how they protect themselves. Then meet some marine critters at our mobile touch tank!
Suitable for children 4-8 years old.
Booking essential (SOLD OUT)
Thursday 15th July, 1.30pm-2.30pm
Mosgiel Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival: Our Ocean - bringing climate data to life (for teens)
An immersive workshop exploring ocean climate change, and capturing stories of treasured marine species that give meaning to data.
The oceans are at the heart of our warming planet, with long-term changes underway that are radically altering the marine environment, and threatening species that we treasure locally. Unlike plastic pollution and industrial fishing, many of these changes are not so clearly visible to most of us, yet they are even more serious. If these changes were more visible, would that strengthen collective ambition to tackle our ocean climate crisis?
We invite you to join us for a two-part workshop to create a sequence of stories and artworks, celebrating our local marine life whilst also raising awareness of climate impacts on these species.
We are seeking participants aged 16+, with an interest in the oceans, who are able to attend a second workshop in August, following the science festival.
Catering and koha will be provided.
These workshops are part of a University of Otago research project, seeking to understand how immersion in creating artwork about climate data affects participants connection and engagement with that data.
Thursday 15th July, 2pm-4pm
Dunningham Suite, 4th Floor, Dunedin City Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival: Our Ocean - bringing climate data to life (for adults)
An immersive workshop exploring ocean climate change, and capturing stories of treasured marine species that give meaning to data.
The oceans are at the heart of our warming planet, with long-term changes underway that are radically altering the marine environment, and threatening species that we treasure locally. Unlike plastic pollution and industrial fishing, many of these changes are not so clearly visible to most of us, yet they are even more serious. If these changes were more visible, would that strengthen collective ambition to tackle our ocean climate crisis?
We invite you to join us for a two-part workshop to create a sequence of stories and artworks, celebrating our local marine life whilst also raising awareness of climate impacts on these species.
We are seeking participants with an interest in the oceans, who are able to attend a second workshop in August, following the science festival.
Catering and koha will be provided.
These workshops are part of a University of Otago research project, seeking to understand how immersion in creating artwork about climate data affects participants connection and engagement with that data.
Thursday 15th July, 6pm-8pm
Dunningham Suite, 4th Floor, Dunedin City Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival @ Mosgiel Library: Aquavan Adventures - Coastal Connections
Connect to your coast with the Aquavan and staff from the NZ Marine Studies Centre!
Find out about the important connections between our mountains and the coast and meet some amazing local critters at our mobile touch tank.
Suitable for children 9-12 years old.
Limited places (30 max)
Friday 16th July, 11.00am
Mosgiel Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival: Lego Parkour
Do some Lego mini-figure parkour with Captain Lego!
Create an obstacle course challenge for your mini-figure, then film them completing it with our new stop-animation studio.
BOOKING ESSENTIAL (SOLD OUT)
Suitable for children aged 8+
Friday 16th July, 1pm-3pm
Makerspace, 2nd floor, Dunedin City Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival @ Mosgiel: Aquavan Adventures – Amazing Adaptations
Our local marine species have some amazing ways for surviving along the wet and wild Otago coast!
Get hands on with the Aquavan and staff from the NZ Marine Studies Centre, learning about crab feeding strategies and how they protect themselves. Then meet some marine critters at our mobile touch tank!
Suitable for children 4-8 years old.
Booking essential (SOLD OUT)
Friday 16th July, 1.30pm-2.30pm
Mosgiel Library
FREE
NZ International Science Festival @ Blueskin Bay Library: Fight Like a Physicist
Channel your inner physics ninja in this fun interactive workshop. Learn how to use classical mechanics principles to vanquish your opponent.
In this fun, interactive workshop, you will be working hands-on with other participants to explore some of the principles of physics that are useful in martial arts. No experience with either physics or karate is necessary.
Wear comfortable clothing, bring a water bottle, and plenty of enthusiasm.
Suitable all ages
Limited places (25 max)
Saturday 17th July, 10am-11am
Hosted by Blueskin Bay Library in the Waitati Community Hall
FREE