From 7-13th September, the Orkney International Science Festival 2023 will be live streaming up to 10 events, a development made possible thanks to National Lottery players.

All remaining events will be filmed and available on their YouTube channel.

This rich mix of livestreamed events will be interactive, creating an extended community audience for those who cannot attend the festival in person. Audiences at a distance will be able to ask questions directly, creating a conversational style for those at home, bringing them into the buzz of Festival activity.

Maha Abhishek, Deputy Festival Director, said:

“In 2020 and 2021, we responded to the pandemic by delivering the Festival completely online. Last year, we partly returned to in-person delivery while adding some livesteamed and recorded events. These are now a permanent resource on our YouTube channel and available anytime.”

The festival organisers have been delighted by the response from people in Orkney and further afield, and this idea to expand the live streaming, trialled in 2022, developed from their feedback.

“Everyone said how great it was to be able to be part of the science festival.” – Kieron Brogan, Community Development and Operations Manager, Sanday Development Trust.

Maha Abhishek continued:

“We’re delighted to receive this funding from National Lottery Awards for All Scotland. Following on from the huge positive response for our online events, we can now offer more to island groups and a global community. These livestreamed and online events make the Festival’s in person events accessible to all those who are unable to travel due to issues of mobility, health, age, family or work commitments.

“With this funding from The National Lottery, we can reach out to communities, like Sanday, so that they can also feel part of the Festival.”

The National Lottery funding secures essential equipment, enabling the festival to bring everyone together – speakers, event hosts, audiences – into a social setting, building relationships in and across communities, so everyone can participate.
A full programme of this years events will be posted on www.oisf.org, and the festivals’ facebook, twitter and instagram pages. Events will be announced over the coming months.