John P. Wilson examines the explosion of ‘intellectual’ festivals sweeping the country
There would appear to be a remarkable learning renaissance going on in the UK with an astonishing growth in the number of science, technology, book and brain festivals. For example, the Hay-on-Wye festival which has been running for 26 years continues to attract some of the world’s foremost authors and thinkers. It has morphed from its origins as a book festival to an event which encourages people to imagine how the world might be and this success has resulted in ‘Hay’ branded events running in ten locations across the world. Bill Clinton described it as “the Woodstock of the mind.”
Science and technology festivals are also increasing across the UK with events in numerous locations including Cardiff, Cheltenham, Brighton, Belfast and Aberdeen. This September, the British Science Association will hold its annual festival in Newcastle with high-profile speakers such as Robert Winston, Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Iain Stewart.
There are also a fast growing number of festivals organised around the brain and mind. The Bristol Festival of Ideas and Sheffield’s Festival of the Mind are both examples of the enormous interest in all things associated with the brain.
The rapid explosion of festivals in these areas would appear to have occurred for a number of reasons. Firstly, many of the bland offerings to the public through mainstream channels have been insufficiently stimulating. This has resulted in scientists, engineers, technologists and those interested in these areas creating their own events.
Secondly, organisations such as TED have captured the zeitgeist with their talks and conferences which are the must attend events for music and film stars who want to boost their intellectual credibility. If you want to go to TED 2014 in Vancouver it is too late because it is already fully booked, but you have saved yourself US$7,500 on the ticket price! Fortunately, it is still available online and there are more than 1,400 talks which can also be viewed online. Closer to home there are still numerous TEDx affiliated events being held in in the UK.
The use of information and communications technology which allow TED, the Khan Academy and many others to create and distribute material has also contributed to the blossoming of mind stimulation.
In some ways there are parallels with the growth of reading rooms, mechanics institutes and learned societies which emerged in the late-1700s and 1800s. At that time there was no organised governmental provision so people self-organised to fill the vacuum and gradually governments recognised the value of and introduced libraries, museums and even schools etc.
For the nation to succeed there needs to be further structured and strategic investment to build on this wave of intellectual curiosity. Austere times should not mean an austere environment lacking educational and intellectual stimulation and activity.