Festival of Ingenuity set to be bigger and better than ever

Final preparations are under way for an extravaganza of everything ingenious about Darlington.

The two-day Festival of Ingenuity will feature interactive activities and exhibits to delight and amaze young minds, and is designed to be a fun way for children and young people to learn about engineering and technology. And best of all, it’s all free!

The festival, which is now in its second year, is organised by the One Darlington Partnership and sponsored by Darlington Building Society, with support from Darlington Borough Council, Smooth Radio and The Northern Echo.

It all starts on Friday (22 September), with a focus on schoolchildren. More than 400 pupils from primary and secondary schools across Darlington will be taking part in activities aimed at inspiring the next generation of engineers by giving them hands-on experience with major employers.

Saturday is the day for family fun, with Darlington town centre set to be transformed into a hive of ingenious activity. Activities will be centred around three locations – the Market Place, Riverside Park and the raised Podium area at the Feethams Leisure complex.

Activities on Saturday include the exhibition marquee in the Market Place, which will be crammed with engaging activities for children and adults, provided by a variety of businesses. Think you’re handy with a Rubik’s cube? Take on the robot in a time trial, watch a 3D printer at work or try some virtual reality goggles for size. The marquee will also include an exhibition on 150 years of ingenuity in Darlington and the chance to have a go at controlling miniature subsea robots.

The Northern Echo’s Chris Lloyd will give a free talk in Central Hall from 11am, revealing some of the lesser known events and extraordinary characters who have helped shaped Darlington.

There will be family fun on the Feethams Podium, including street entertainers, dancers, face painting, a birds of prey display and a Punch and Judy show. The Podium will also be the start and finish point of the Ingenious Explorer Trail, aimed at young children and their families. Collect a map and follow the clues on a treasure hunt around the town centre. Everyone who completes the trail will win a free gift, as well as the chance to be entered in a free prize draw, with dozens of prizes up for grabs.

Festival-goers will be able to travel between the attractions on Darly, a land-based train. There will also be a chance to hop aboard a vintage bus and visit the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, where a new Gresley class steam locomotive, Prince of Wales, is being built from scratch. There will also be family entertainment at the nearby Head of Steam railway museum. The vintage bus will also be taking passengers to Tees Cottage Pumping Station, in Coniscliffe Road, where the Victorian-era equipment will be in full flow.

Seth Pearson, director of event organisers One Darlington Partnership, said: “A lot of effort and, indeed, ingenuity has gone into planning this year’s festival, which I know will be a huge success. I’d like to thank Darlington Building Society for sponsoring the festival, as well as all the other partners who have given their time and effort to prepare for this event. It promises to be a great day, with something for everyone, so I’d encourage as many people as possible to come and join us!”

Colin Fyfe, chief executive of Darlington Building Society, said: “We’re excited to be sponsoring this year’s second annual Festival of Ingenuity, which promises to be a memorable celebration of everything that’s great about Darlington. This year’s festival promises to be bigger and better than ever. It’s supported by some of the town’s brightest engineering and technology talent, celebrating Darlington’s successes both past and present, while encouraging the next generation.”

For more information, follow @IngenuityFestDT on Twitter or search for the Festival of Ingenuity on Facebook.