The Nottinghamshire Festival of Science and Curiosity is hosting free activities in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, from 9 to 20 February 2026. This two-week festival, produced by the education charity Ignite! (Ignite Futures Ltd), includes hands-on archaeology workshops at Beeston Library that link local history with scientific methods.
Ignite! worked with Inspire (Culture, Learning and Libraries) and local universities, including the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, to put together the programme. Many sessions are drop-in and designed to be family-friendly, but some workshops have set time slots and require advance booking; Inspire’s listing showed the Beeston archaeology workshops had scheduled sessions that were bookable.
Visitors to Beeston Library on Foster Avenue (NG9 1AE) can take part in practical sessions exploring the town’s past through archaeology. Inspire’s events listing shows archaeology workshops at Beeston Library on Wednesday 18 February with sessions at 10:00–11:30, 12:00–13:30 and 14:00–15:30.
The activities are timed to coincide with Nottinghamshire County Council’s February half-term, which runs from 16 to 20 February 2026. The festival is supported by Broxtowe Borough Council as part of wider efforts to bring more cultural activities to the town. Scientists from local universities will also be available at various sessions to show how their research relates to everyday life in accessible, family-friendly ways.
