Funding Time Travel at Norwich Science Festival
Thousands of children across Norfolk have been travelling through time this month, meeting some of history’s greatest scientific thinkers without leaving their school hall.
The Great Science Time Tour, a high energy play created for the 2026 Norwich Science Festival, has just completed a tour of 38 primary and SEND schools across the county. Funded through the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm Community Fund, delivered by Norfolk Community Foundation on behalf of Equinor, the project has brought interactive science theatre directly to classrooms and communities.
Bringing learning to life
By the end of the Norwich Science Festival, more than six thousand people will have taken part in the adventure, either in school or at The Forum in Norwich. For many children, especially those in rural communities, it offered a rare chance to engage with live performance and science together.
Teachers have praised the way the production brings science alive. One Norfolk teacher shared:
“The play was pitched well and the scientists linked to our curriculum. The play was well written and carefully thought out, so each scene linked. It was great that Tom asked volunteers from the audience to help him. The children loved seeing their friends helping with the science.”
Colleagues from Norfolk Community Foundation, Gemma and Mia, joined one of the performances at Norwich Science Festival to see the project in action. Mia said:
“What really stood out was the sheer reach of this project and the energy in the room. We saw children completely drawn into the story and excited to take part. They got to help Charles Darwin study his finches, meet double Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie, and blast into space with astronaut Mae Jemison. They left feeling inspired, with their curiosity piqued and ready to find out more about science! It shows the real difference we can make when local partners bring their funding, skills and creativity together.”
Removing barriers and widening opportunity
The Dudgeon Community Fund, operated by Equinor and administered by Norfolk Community Foundation, provides £125,000 each year to support STEM activity across Great Yarmouth, North Norfolk and Breckland. Support for the Time Tour helps ensure that children who might not be able to travel into Norwich can still access inspiring opportunities.
Sophie Skipp, Equinor Stakeholder Manager in Norfolk, joined pupils at Sheringham Primary School for a recent performance. She said:
“Today’s children are tomorrow’s scientists and engineers. This play is a fantastic way to bring scientific achievement to life in a way that sticks with them. Reaching 38 Norfolk schools in just five weeks is a remarkable achievement, and we are proud to support it.”
Together, Equinor and Norfolk Community Foundation are committed to nurturing local talent and spark interest in the skills that will shape Norfolk’s future.
