An ambitious new science festival is set to launch event next month in Cumbria.

EnergyUnearthed will be aiming to celebrate Cumbria’s role in the energy sector, and trying to engage more young people and the wider community in the debate on climate change.

Now teachers, employers and policy makers are being encouraged to attend the launch event at Newton Rigg College, Penrith, on Tuesday October 13 to give their views on what they would like to see from the event.

Using energy as starting point, the festival will explore issues from the latest technology, engineering and environmental topics, as well as food and farming, health and wellbeing and the arts.

Although planned as an annual festival, the programme will also include year-round work with education institutions, industry and in the community, with an energy flashmob planned for later in the year.

The project is the vision of Kendal-born Andrew Lucas who returned to the area as chief officer of Lake District Summer Music after a career in the media and higher education.

Andrew says, “The purpose of EnergyUnearthed is not to drive the energy debate, but to give the public access to an understanding of energy science in fun, new and inspiring ways.

“It will also drive tourism to the area, and will inspire and energise future workforces for Cumbria’s industries and help address an urgent demand for skills and knowledge development.

“The event will see EnergyUnearthed collaborating with a wide range of partners from industry, education and media.

“”We haven’t even launched yet, and we’ve already been receiving approaches from key individuals and organisations keen to support the initiative.”

While the festival is not scheduled until June/July 2017, the event at Newton Rigg next month is the beginning of a series of ‘Catalyst’ events which EnergyUnearthed are putting together between now and 2017.

Dr Sarah Peers, Director of Education and Industry, said: “These Catalyst events will raise awareness within the different publics we are seeking to reach, allow us to test and develop markets, build momentum towards the main Festival and ensure EnergyUnearthed has maximum visibility and impact.

“At this launch event, we will start a dialogue with educators and industry across Cumbria to find out what they would wish to see as part of the programme for this exciting new festival.” Teachers and industry representatives can book to attend the ‘Introducing EnergyUnearthed’ on the Tuesday 13 October by emailing info@energyunearthed.com