MEDIA BACKGROUND NOTES World Science Festival Brisbane PRESENTED BY

Home , Brian Greene, Liev Schreiber, World Science Festival

9–13 March 2016

STRATEGIC PARTNER

– 2 – BRISBANE NEW YORK

Brisbane has been announced as the first Asia- explorations, musical performances, intimate salons, and Pacific host of the prestigious World Science major outdoor experiences, the Festival takes science out Festival. The Queensland Museum has entered of the laboratory and into the streets, parks, museums, into an exclusive six-year agreement to present galleries and premier performing arts venues of New York the World Science Festival Brisbane, commencing City. in March 2016. Hailed a “new cultural institution” by The New York Times, the Festival has featured scientific and cultural luminaries What is the World Science Festival? including Stephen Hawking, Maggie Gyllenhaal, E.O. Wilson, The World Science Festival brings together great minds in John Lithgow, Sir Paul Nurse, Glenn Close, Harold Varmus, science and the arts to produce live and digital content that Yo-Yo Ma, Steven Weinberg, Philip Glass, Brian Cox, Eric presents the wonders of science and the drama of scientific Lander, Steven Chu, Chuck Close, Richard Leakey, Bobby discovery to a broad general audience. McFerrin, Sylvia Earle, Anna Deavere Smith, Oliver Sacks, The Festival’s flagship live event, launched in 2008, is an Liev Schreiber, Mary-Claire King, Charlie Kaufman, James annual celebration and exploration of science. Through Watson, Bill T. Jones, Stephen Pinker, Alec Baldwin, Richard gripping debates, original theatrical works, interactive Dawkins, the Coen Brothers, and among many others.

– 3 – World Science Festival background • The World Science Festival Brisbane will be an annual Founded in 2008 by renowned physicist Professor Brian celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths Greene and Emmy award-winning journalist Tracy Day, and the Arts bringing the world’s leading scientists and the Festival is an annual celebration and exploration thought-leaders to Queensland. of science. • The Festival will be based in Brisbane across the Since its launch, the World Science Festival has attracted South Bank Cultural Precinct, with additional regional more than 1.8 million attendees, over 1000 participants, events hosted throughout regional Queensland and and developed 350 separate programs. across Australia. View highlights from the 2014 World Science Festival New • The World Science Festival Brisbane will feature local York (www.worldsciencefestival.com). scientists and performers from around Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia as well as having the World Science Festival Brisbane opportunity to host the brightest and the best from • The Queensland Museum has secured the World previous events in New York. Science Festival Brisbane for Queensland in an • The World Science Festival Brisbane will be presented exclusive licence agreement with the World Science by Queensland Museum together with their strategic Festival in New York, aligning Australia with one of the partner Tourism and Events Queensland and world’s most prestigious scientific and cultural festivals. supported by some of the Asia-Pacific region’s leading • The inaugural World Science Festival Brisbane will take universities and research institutions. place in Brisbane between 9 and 13 March 2016. • The World Science Festival Brisbane is supported by the Queensland Department of Premier and Cabinet.

– 4 – Queensland Museum Queensland Museum & Sciencentre is located at South Bank in the heart of Brisbane’s Cultural Precinct and was the the most visited museum in Australia last year. As both a scientific and cultural institution, Queensland Museum helps foster a better understanding of our place in the world, through its quality permanent and travelling exhibition program, internationally recognised researchers, and comprehensive range of public and educational programs. We aim to create life by learning opportunities for Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and the Arts immersion across Queensland and beyond, with the goal of ensuring that people are engaged with science in a multitude ways throughout their lives. The World Science Festival Brisbane will join the World Science Festival in its goal to cultivate a general public informed by science, inspired by its wonder and convinced of its value.

– 5 – Current resources available for Media • Media Release • World Science Festival images available for use at http://bit.ly/WorldScienceFestivalBrisbane. Please credit Science Festival Foundation. • Video about World Science Festival Brisbane featuring World Science Festival board member Alan Alda and founder Brian Greene (.avi file) For more information go to www.worldsciencefestival.com.au Media Enquires: [email protected]

All images (c) Science Festival Foundation.

Key dates 1 May/30 April 2015 World Science Festival Brisbane announced in Australia and at the World Science Festival gala in New York

May 27 - 31 2015 World Science Festival New York

Late 2015 World Science Festival Brisbane program to be announced

9 - 13 March 2016 The inaugural World Science Festival Brisbane

– 6 – Images available for Media http://bit.ly/WorldScienceFestivalBrisbane

All images (c) Science Festival Foundation.

– 7 –