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13 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 28 AUGUST 2019 CULTURE SCIENCE THIS year's edition of the Sci- ence in the City festival will be all about visitor participation and interaction, highlighting the importance of citizen par- ticipation in scientific research and technological advance- ment. Festival manager Edward Duca said that new activities for the festival, held this year on 27 September, would see the direct involvement of visi- tors in experimenting with, and understanding, science and technology. "Public engagement is now expected to be about science as an open, democratic pro- cess... something shaped by professionals but led by citi- zens," he said. This year's event will include a number of attractions and events for all ages including creative jazz concerts, neuro- diverse dance, science shows, magicians, augmented reality, science theatre, puppet shows and a lot more. The events will be spread across various parts of Val- letta, with the festival running from 6pm till midnight Triton Square would host a series of interactive activi- ties related to health and the digital sciences, as well as the festival's largest stage. Magician Gwilym Bugeja will present his magic show 'Communication, Psychology and Subconscious Influences', while Esplora will stage 'Body Wonders', an activity that delves into the human diges- tive system. In Castille Square, the NGO Green House will be setting up an interactive bat show, where visitors will have to choose whether to save the bat population by becoming citizen scientists, or not. Parliamentary secretary for Innovation Silvio Schembri said the festival's theme this year - the Science of YOU - resonates with the times we are living in. "In view of the changes hap- pening before our eyes, we are becoming more conscious that we need to do our part, as little as that may be," he said. Schembri welcomed the fes- tival's commitment to bring citizens closer to researchers. "I encourage parents to make a family night out of this event, to bring their chil- dren and help then familiarise themselves with science," he said. "And why not? They might very well be tomorrow's sci- entists and researchers." Closer to science with jazz, dance and augmented reality This year's Science and the City festival will include more visitor participation than ever before Parliamentary Secretary for innovation Silvio Schembri