Constructed in 1957, the Grade-1 listed Lovell Telescope is a beacon in the Cheshire, the UK, landscape and an internationally renowned landmark in the world of astronomy.
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Even now, it remains one of the biggest and most powerful radio telescopes in the world, spending most of its time investigating cosmic phenomena which were undreamed of when it was conceived.
Since the birth of Bluedot in 2016, the festival has annually transformed this iconic structure into a light-based artwork of staggering scale.
Many months of planning goes into the creation of the artwork, which is traditional unveiled on the Friday night of the festival. Commencing with Brian Eno in 2016, every year a new artist is commissioned, working closely with the Bluedot team to realise their vision.
These have grown in ambition and scale each year, featuring many awe-inspiring, off the wall and leftfield elements, some of which are co-created in collaboration with the scientists at Jodrell Bank.
For the first time at bluedot, 2022 will feature projections on the face of the Lovell Telescope as it is rotated from pointing into the night sky to face the audience of the Lovell Stage, and the Star Fields.
Family festival goers can discover a vast range of activities in the intergalactic family areas, packed full of cool science shows, hands-on activities, amazing animations, and a dazzling array of intriguing experiments.
Bluedot 2022 promises another mind-expanding programme of talks and panel discussions with leading scholars from around the globe. DotTalks programme spans across the festival including in the Star Pavilion and Mission Control.
Notes is bluedot’s hub dedicated to literature, spoken word, panel discussions and evening intrigues; hosting a range of book talks, signings, discussions and readings. Located in the shadow of the Lovell Telescope in the Star Field, and housed inside an intimate cafe serving revitalising coffees and delicious cakes, Notes will stimulate both the body and the mind.
Along all that, there will be a lot of music, from Bjork, Mogwai and Groove armada to numerous other artists. You can call it a biggest concert in the world that goes hand in hand with science, to inspire new generations and remind older how exciting and fun science can.
Bluedot 2022 will be held July 21-24 at Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, England. ■