The Festival of Soil

Join us for The Festival of Soil – a celebration of the hidden worlds beneath our feet, explored through art, science and storytelling.

Did you know that there are more living creatures in a teaspoon of soil than there are humans on planet Earth?

Part of National Science Week this family-friendly event will be led by the Small Friends Books team – a microbiologist, two artists and a writer who collaborate to create stories for children set in the microscopic world.

Featuring an interactive microscope station, collaborative drawing, ‘soil pit’ experiments, a live storytelling and an immersive, soil-inspired performance, we will also be celebrating the launch of Nema and the Xenos: A Story of Soil Cycles – the newest story in the Small Friends Books series (co-published by Scale Free Network and CSIRO Publishing). Set in the soil, this science-adventure tale is told by a tiny worm (a nematode) on a very big mission. An exhibition of original illustrations will also be on display.