Bee Curious at the Universally Manchester Festival

Join us on the ground floor lecture theatre in the Nancy Rothwell Building, for the Bee Curious programme – featuring inspiring, thought-provoking talks and interactive performances for all ages.  Programme highlights include:

11:00am – Light, Lungs and Air: Making the Invisible, Visible

The world is not all that meets the eye. Plenty of the world, even the air that we breathe, is invisible. So, what do we do when we want to investigate what we cannot see? Join Dr Ryan Devlin to explore the invisible world that is the very air we breathe, why this is important to our health, and how we can use light to make the world around us more visible.

12:00pm – Can You Spot a Liar? The Psychology of Deception and ‘The Traitors’

Why are humans so bad at spotting lies? Why do some people seem more trustworthy than others? And why do groups so often banish the wrong person? Social psychologists Dr Doron Cohen and Dr Stacey McKnight take you on an interactive deep dive into the psychology behind ‘The Traitors’. You might be a fan of the show or curious about human behaviour, join us to discover what happens when trust and suspicion collide.

1:00pm – Jumping into Action: How can we save the world’s frogs?

Frogs may be small, but they play an important role in the world around us. They help control insect populations, provide food for other animals, and they can even tell us when the environment is in trouble. Join Bethany Dean and Finn Baverstock from the Herpetology team at the Manchester Museum for a fascinating journey into the world of frogs. Discover what makes a frog a frog, why they matter and what we can do to protect them for future generations.

2:00pm – Chasing Asteroids

Asteroids are ancient time capsules that hold clues to how Earth and the solar system first formed — and perhaps even how life began. Join Dr Sarah Crowther to discover how NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission to the asteroid Bennu is helping researchers at The University of Manchester uncover Bennu’s remarkable 4.5-billion-year story.

3:00pm – Schools Poetry Competition – Globally Curious: Voices from the Earth

We welcome this year’s winners of our annual Schools Poetry Competition to perform their work at this special prize giving ceremony. The competition encourages young people from local schools in Greater Manchester to use poetry as a means of self-expression. Hear fantastic verse read by a bright young generation of new writers.

4:00pm – Drumming with Afrocats

Musician Godfrey Pambalipe from Afrocats will lead a fun and interactive drumming session at the festival. Everyone is invited to join in and experience the exciting rhythms of the Djembe, a hand drum with origins in West Africa that is now played across the continent. It’s a great way to explore rhythm, sound, and music together. Expect a lively, inclusive session full of creativity. No experience needed – just bring your enthusiasm and have a go!

We hope you can join us for this engaging Bee Curious programme – it’s not to missed and has something for everyone.

We recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment!