AFTER the coronavirus pandemic forced its cancellation, this year’s Glasgow Science Festival is bouncing back online.

‘Science on the Sofa’, which kicks off on September 9, aims to bring the fun of the Glasgow Science Festival home with 70 pieces of all-new content, including live and pre-recorded events suitable for science enthusiasts of all ages.

A series of live attractions including a pub quiz, a cardboard robot building workshop, virtual shows from the Glasgow Science Centre and a science-themed variety performance will run until September 13 on Zoom, Facebook and Twitter.

Dr Deborah McNeill, director of the Glasgow Science Festival, said: “Last year’s festival attracted 60,000 visitors to events held at 26 venues across the city, and we had a fantastic series of events lined up for this year.

"It was heartbreaking to have to cancel it, but we’ve been thrilled by how many of the people behind this year’s events have been willing to help us put them online instead."

Science on the Sofa information is at glasgowsciencefestival.org.uk

Deborah added: “They’ve been working incredibly hard in their own time to make their own content about a huge range of topics.

"The passion that everyone has brought to their projects really shines through, even if the homemade nature of some of them means that they’re not completely polished in their presentation.

“We’re so grateful for all the help we’ve received to get the festival back up and running."

Many more events - including online versions of many of the activities, shows and talks which were due to be held during the festival in June - will be available on the festival’s website until November 9 to help people to enjoy the programme at their own pace.

Website visitors can watch videos, read articles, make educational arts and crafts projects and do their own science experiments with expert help from volunteers from local universities, commercial partners and charities.

The festival’s organisers have also arranged an entirely new series focused on how Glasgow-based scientists have responded to the challenges of Covid-19.

Academics and medics will present a series of videos on how they are contributing to efforts to combat the pandemic, from manufacturing PPE for frontline workers to developing potential vaccines to setting up the Lighthouse Lab for infection testing and more.