Cheltenham Science Festival has announced Professor Pragya Agarwal as its new Artistic Director.
The city-wide festival takes place on 8-13 June 2027 for what will be its 25th anniversary.
Pragya joins Cheltenham Science Festival as a social and data scientist and scholar, and will “lead the next chapter of its Science Festival” says Cheltenham Festivals.
The announcement follows a pledge made earlier this year by Cheltenham Festivals to make half of its festival events free by 2030.
Pragya will shape the programme for Cheltenham Science Festival as it enters its 25th edition, says Cheltenham Festivals, and will “help nurture the next generation of scientists, innovators and thinkers, supporting the development of Cheltenham Festival’s year-round outreach programmes.” This includes the competition and science training programme FameLab and DataFace, a schools-based programme that encourages young learners to delve into real-world issues through data.
Pragya is the author of four books – Sway, (M)otherhood, Hysterical, Wish We Knew What to Say – is a visiting professor of social inequities and injustice at Loughborough University and a visiting fellow at the University of Cambridge.
Professor Pragya Agarwal said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Cheltenham Festivals as Artistic Director of Cheltenham Science Festival.
I’m excited to help usher in a new vision for the Festival, building on the brilliant work that has come before, while opening new conversations and new ways for audiences to engage with science.“
I’ve spent much of my career thinking about how science intersects with society and shapes our lives, and how questions of power and inequality shape science in return. This feels like a wonderful opportunity to bring those conversations to an even wider audience.“
Ali Mawle, co-CEO of the Science Festival’s parent charity, Cheltenham Festivals, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Pragya to the team as Artistic Director for Cheltenham Science Festival. Pragya brings with her an incredible passion for the future of science in its broadest sense, and we’re excited to see Pragya’s ambition and vision for the Festival come to life.“
