Edinburgh Science Festival (ESF), the world’s first festival of science and technology, has partnered with the Royal Academy of Engineering to host artist Kelly Anna’s sculpture ‘What Makes an Engineer?’
In its first display outside of London, the sculpture will be displayed at the City Art Centre as part of DiscoveryLab. Created to mark National Engineering Day 2024, it was part of an art project to celebrate inspirational engineers and represents Alice Kan, a mechanical engineer who played an important role in the manufacture of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Starting with a production line and team of one, Alice led efforts to grow the team, develop the process, set up manufacture and produce 100 million doses for use in the UK. Her work continues today developing Ebola vaccines.
The sculpture aims to raise awareness and encourage more women to pursue engineering roles with women currently only making up 15.7% of the UK engineering workforce. By showcasing a story as inspiring as Alice Kan’s, Kelly Anna’s sculpture champions the fact that engineering is for everyone.
ESF is renowned for its unique presentations of arts colliding with STEM, creating STEAM and this year delves deep into the worlds of speculative fiction, art exhibitions, sci-fi film screenings and music of the spheres.
CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Dr Hayaatun Sillem said “Engineering is driven by countless unsung heroes and teams who shape our world in profound ways every day. Across the UK, modern engineers—despite their remarkable contributions to our society—remain noticeably absent from public statues and artworks. I am delighted we can bring this sculpture of Alice Kan to Edinburgh Science Festival, and I hope it will help to inspire young people to join this creative, rewarding profession, which improves lives every day.”
The sculpture encapsulates Alice’s remarkable journey, achievements, and personal resilience in engineering and vaccine production. The central, dynamic figure of Alice stands strong with an empowered posture, symbolizing her resilience, leadership, and unwavering determination. Alice is shown looking upward, representing hope, optimism, and her visionary approach to the future. The statue is constructed from various blocks and shapes, representing her ability to build teams and overcome obstacles. These blocks embody persistence and inclusiveness—demonstrating how diverse perspectives come together to create strength. An accompanying QR code will take visitors to an augmented reality experience created by Atlantic Productions.
Edinburgh Science Director and CEO, Hassun El-Zafar said “When programming our Festival we focus on ways to combine art and science, as art is often the most powerful way to bring science to life. By engaging the imagination, complex concepts or scientific achievements become all the easier to understand. We’re delighted that the Royal Academy of Engineering has chosen our Festival to showcase What Makes an Engineer? for the first time outside of London – a chance for all our visitors, young and old, to be inspired by Alice Kan’s work saving lives as an engineer.”
ESF is the first and still one of Europe’s biggest science festivals and takes place over the Easter holidays between 5th and 20th April.
Tickets are on sale now on edinburghscience.co.uk
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 