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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 NOVEMBER 2020 5 SCIENCE SCIENCE in the City Festival 2020 (SitC) is a go for launch. The ninth edition of the festi- val will be like nothing before, it aims to engage audiences in new ways, empower them with critical yet creative thinking and enable them to become active citizens straight from the safety of their own home. THIS was announced by the or- ganisers on 2nd November dur- ing an online live-stream press conference, during which they published the pre-event calen- dar and the official programme of the festival. The extended festival will span from Thursday 12 to Sun- day 29 November, featuring ex- citing pre-festival events aired across Science in the City's social media from 12 to 26 No- vember, as a prequel to the dig- ital event over the whole week- end from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November. The press conference was presented by the Festival Co- ordinator Dr Edward Duca, PBS CEO Mr Charles Dalli, University of Malta Pro-Rec- tor Professor Saviour Zammit, TrustStamp CEO Mr Gareth Genner, Parliamentary Secre- tary for Financial Services and Digital Economy, Hon. Clayton Bartolo, and scientist and festi- val collaborator, Alina Ivan. There will be even more ways to enjoy this year's festival. From the 12 - 26th November, there will be a range of excit- ing Pre-Festival events for the whole family to enjoy. In Malta's very first online es- cape room, created by Green- House and BiOrbic, the audi- ence gets to help researchers solve clues and puzzles that might save the world from the devastating effects of climate change. CineXjenza will be hosting a series of movies that tackle topics from ageing to mental health and there will even be the opportunity to join in on live discussions by experts in these fields. Audiences get the chance to experience some- thing a little more dark, by delving into a world that is 'trapped between mirrors'. The Mirror Trap gives the opportu- nity to the brave participants to discuss with researchers and the creator of the chilling expe- rience they have endured. Sci- ence in the City has made sure there is something for every- one. For the weekend of the fes- tival, organisers are preparing a three day online live stream and an array of pre-recorded activities. The live stream will feature special theatre perfor- mances by artists such as An- gele Galea in "Jumping Genes", tackling issues women face in their STEM (science, technol- ogy, engineering and maths) careers, as well as domestic vi- olence, all based on true stories and actual research. Alina Ivan will be showcasing her piece, "Feedback Loops", looking in- to how wearable technology can track changes in the body related to depression, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Ms Ivan hopes "the perfor- mance will increase audiences' understanding of these three conditions. A lot of symptoms of mental and physical health conditions are invisible, and we believe that dance, music and physiological data have the potential to reveal what is often hard to put into words." Mal- colm Galea will be journeying into the future and contem- plating how the concept of hu- manity may have changed. These pieces set the tone for the Festival's characteris- tic blend of science and the arts, where there will be the opportunity for audiences to chat to the performers, lis- ten to researchers discuss the science behind them and ask lots of questions. If this is not enough, then in addition to the interactive online festival where participants can engage in discussions with experts and researchers, the Science in the City website will have lots of other fun videos and activities for its audiences. The digital version of Science in the City aims to bring au- dience members together and closer to the scientific world, from the comfort and safety of their homes across Malta and beyond. Dr Edward Duca com- mented that "this year's festival is jam-packed with activities and events. We decided to can- cel the physical event due to the current Covid-19 situation but we have toiled to make this renowned festival a digital one. Now, we just want to share this enthusiasm and excitement with all of you." Science in the City Festival launches programme for innovative digital festival