The South West’s free festival of discovery: Bringing research to life across Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth and online.
Funded by UKRI
FUTURES 2025 came to a close with Doing Together, a day of hands-on creativity and family fun at Bath Spa University’s Locksbrook Campus, where artists, dancers and designers invited visitors to explore how imagination, craft and collaboration can shape our shared future.
This autumn, thousands of people across the South West took part in FUTURES, celebrating research, creativity and discovery. We listened to the changing soundtrack of the ocean in Sound Waves, stepped behind the scenes of science at Discovery Day in Bristol, travelled through time with Kilter Theatre in Bath, and explored innovation and imagination at Voyage of Discovery in Plymouth and the Pop-Up Curiosity Shop of Science & Culture in Exeter.
A huge thank you to all the researchers, community partners, universities, artists, and visitors who made FUTURES possible this year. Your questions, creativity and curiosity brought the festival to life
FUTURES may be over for 2025, but you can still get involved:
Tune in to FUTURES on Air – community radio programmes made with researchers and broadcasters from across the South West.
Listen to the Sound Waves podcast – exploring how our oceans are changing through sound.
Try something new – with our Do Try This At Home activities.
FUTURES has once again transformed familiar places into spaces for creativity, conversation and collaboration. Thank you for being part of it. Stay curious, and keep discovering how research can make our world better.
Want to relive the festival? Check out our social media channels for highlights, photos and videos from this year’s events:
Instagram: @futures_night
Facebook: FUTURES25
Looking for more ways to get involved with research and public events near you?
Explore our partners’ public engagement programmes.
Some events are ticketed, some are drop-in, but all are completely FREE.
The programme includes a range of online activities and in-person events at venues across the South West. All exploring the worlds of science, culture and research, there is something for everyone at this year’s FUTURES.
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