Darwin Festival at the Manchester Museum. (360G-Wellcome-089418_Z_09_Z)

Our project is a year-long Festival exploring the life of Charles Darwin, his ideas, their impact and their legacies on science and society. Currently, our existing plans for the Festival consist of three major exhibitions. We are nowseeking funding to deliver a comprehensive programme of accompanying public engagement and educational activities. The Festival will be a major component of the national Darwin programme, and the largest Darwin and evolution themed project in the North West. Commencing in August 2009, it will encompass the 150th anniversary of the publication of 'On the Origin of Species' and sustain Darwin 200 activities well into 2010 and the United Nation's International Year of Biodiversity. In developing our plans, we aim to complement existing initiatives, including those developed by the Wellcome Trust and the BBSRC, by creating a programme which draws upon the unique range of resources available to us as a leading university museum; a museum which owes its very design to Darwinian principlesof evolution, and which has a strong track record in public engagement. The Museum - situated in a world-class university and with some of the finest natural history collections in Britain - is the perfect place in which to explore Darwin's impact, both historically and in contemporary society. Working with a range of partners, from academics to community organisations, the Festival will explore the scientific, cultural and ethical implications ofDarwin's work and its legacies, providing opportunities for audiences from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to engage with the programme.