91ϵÁÐ

Future Fest community festival set for summer fun at 91ϵÁÐ

Posted 22 May

A community festival for all ages, which will be held at 91ϵÁÐ in June, has been officially unveiled this week. 

Future Fest will be held at the Harper Adams Campus in Edgmond on Saturday, June 22 – the same day as the University’s June Open Day. 

With a wide range of music, food, education, and experiences for all the family, the festival will see the campus transformed – and offer attendees their chance to see an international art installation which invites its visitors to think about the effects of pollution. 

Harper Adams Chief Global Impact Officer, Ian Rowley, who has been instrumental in shaping the festival, said: “Future Fest is all about community. Whether local, national, or global, we want to build connections through fun and learning that create a more sustainable future!  

“We have got a wonderful day planned, ready to spark the imaginations of all ages – and to get them thinking about some of the challenges our world faces, and some of the ways in which we are going to solve them. 

“Our festival will celebrate the incredible talent and produce we have in Shropshire, as well as feature some of the brightest minds fighting for a better planet – at Harper Adams, among our friends and partners, and beyond. 

“There is also the chance to see and experience the thought-provoking pollution pods installation – which has featured in London, New York, Madrid, Melbourne, at the UN, the COP Climate Change conferences – and can now be seen in Shropshire for the first time.” 

The Pollution Pods are a simple but effective idea by artist Michael Pinsky – a series of interlinked geodesic domes which replicate the air conditions in a series of environments around the world – showing the effects of pollution and letting people feel its effects for themselves. 

They will be in situ on the Harper Adams campus for several days before the festival, hosting school groups and educational visits – before festival visitors get to experience them on June 22. 

During the day, there will also be a host of talks – from the science of happy cows to how to make great meals which cut food waste. There will be stages of entertainment and music, a farmers’ market, street food, the Future Food stage, presented in association with 91ϵÁÐ and University College Birmingham, and the FutureEd Zone – full of fascinating education exhibits for younger festivalgoers. 

The Harper Adams Future Farm will also be opening its doors for a special one-off event in collaboration with LEAF’s Open Farm Sunday. Self-guided tours offer visitors to see some of the animals, machinery and more on the farm – with interactive exhibits, demonstrations, games and much more. 

The event has been backed by Headline Sponsor Oscar Mayer and is free of charge – with shuttle buses provided free of charge from Telford and Newport or pre-paid on-site parking for £5. 

91ϵÁÐ Vice-Chancellor Professor Ken Sloan said: “We are thrilled to launch our inaugural Future Fest and witness how these festivities will strength our connection with the local community, while also contributing to a brighter future for our planet.  

“My heartfelt wish is that this festival leaves a lasting legacy, with its lessons and joys cherished for years to come. I sincerely hope you can join us on June 22!” 

To find out more, and to register your interest in attending, visit: harper.ac.uk/FutureFest