Preparations under way for DarwIN Shrewsbury Festival
Organisers are gearing up for the return of the DarwIN Shrewsbury Festival - an annual event to celebrate the life, work and legacy of Charles Darwin, the town's most famous son.
Events will run throughout February and will include talks, workshops, guided tours, exhibitions and activities - many of which are free to attend and are centred around the birthday of the Shrewsbury-born naturalist on February 12.
The festival is being organised by John K Hughes, Darwin Festival Manager and Shrewsbury Civic Society, supported by Shrewsbury BID and Original Shrewsbury.
John said: “Preparations have gone well and we are now eagerly anticipating the DarwIN Shrewsbury Festival, which promises to be a truly memorable occasion with many individual quality events taking place.
“I would like to thank all those who have helped organise the event for their support, the various venues around Shrewsbury who will be hosting events and everyone else who has played a part in ensuring the festival can go ahead.
“This year’s Festival, which builds on the success of previous years, offers a wide variety of events and activities for visitors both young and old to enjoy - focussing on all things Darwin.”
Festival Events
Events include a month-long exhibition at St Mary’s Church called Opening a Window on Darwin’s Legacy which tells the story of The Mount, Darwin’s boyhood home, through a series of recently discovered photographs dating from the late Victorian era.
Both the Unitarian Church and St Chad’s will have open days and a series of free lunchtime Spotlight talks take place at Shrewsbury Museum on Tuesdays throughout February. Shropshire Archives hosts a display each Thursday during the month on the amazing story of Darwin’s lost coffin, and a Young Darwin Exhibition also takes place throughout February at the Bear Steps Art Gallery and Medieval Hall celebrating Darwin’s life and discoveries.
Dr Maarten Christenhusz will present a fascinating talk at Shrewsbury Unitarian Church on February 8 on the discovery of new species and relocating extinct plants, the annual Darwin Memorial Lecture will be presented by Professor Joanna Bryson at Theatre Severn on February 9 when she will consider the role of AI in evolutionary studies, and local historian Nigel Hinton will be Walking in Darwin’s Footsteps when he leads a walking tour around key places in the town that Darwin knew as a boy.
The annual birthday toast to Darwin takes place on February 12 at the Bellstone.
A lecture illustrated by Darwin’s personal letters and other items, called Charles Darwin: From Shrewsbury Schoolboy to International Scientific Superstar, will be held at Shrewsbury School followed by a series of fun, free talks especially for school years 5-6 in the afternoon.
As part of Darwin’s 216th birthday celebrations, a special musical event featuring notable pianist James C Taylor on the Darwin House Steinway piano will take the audience on an evolutionary journey from classics known and loved by Darwin to improvised jazz pieces. The evening is complemented with canapés and a birthday toast of Prosecco.
Also on February 12, the Shropshire Geology Society will be presenting an evening lecture on Darwin’s formative geological tour of North Wales in 1831 with his university Professor Adam Sedgwick.
There will be a Darwin House and grounds tour on February 14, a Darwin-themed Lego workshop at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery the following day, and a Fabulous Fossils date on February 20 at Shropshire Wildlife Trust - a free drop-in event for budding geologists.
Voyage of Discovery: Charles Darwin, HMS Beagle and the marvels of the world he discovered takes place at The Bear Steps Gallery. The festival concludes on a musical note on February 28 with a performance (presented by SY.Gigs) by multi-instrumentalist, composer, and sound designer John Biddulph who unveils his unique soundtrack inspired by Charles Darwin’s iconic text The Voyage of the Beagle.
Indeed, there is something for everyone at the 2025 DarwIN Shrewsbury Festival.
Bibbs Cameron from Shrewsbury Historica, one of the festival's key organisers, said the festival not only showcased Darwin’s contributions to science but also emphasised Shrewsbury's rich cultural and historical heritage.
“As a proud supporter of the Darwin Festival 2025, it’s heartening to witness our community and visitors coming together to honour Charles Darwin’s legacy,” she added.
A full list of events can be found at https://darwin.originalshrewsbury.co.uk/
