START headlines a week of Trinity festivals connecting research, researchers and the public

START headlines a week of Trinity festivals connecting research, researchers and the public

Posted on: 23 September 2025

START is part of European Researchers' Night, a Europe-wide public engagement programme funded by the European Union, which displays the diversity of research and its impact on citizens' daily lives in fun, inspiring ways. Once again, this year will see events taking place across nearly 30 countries around Europe.

In Ireland the START Festival is hosted by Trinity in partnership with the University of Medicine and Health Sciences (RCSI) and ADAPT, the Research Ireland Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology.

Trinity's annual Arts and Humanities Research Festival also returns from 22-26 September with a week-long programme of talks, panel discussions, and performances.

Is it a 'crime' to watch True Crime? Why is the Irish President important? Do we need another flag? Can Arts and Humanities fight the climate crisis? And, what are the 'hidden' wonders of Trinity's Library? These are just some of the questions the Festival proposes to answer as staff and students from across the Arts and Humanities disciplines join to celebrate research with members of the public.

Organised by the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute, the programme will feature a range of talks, interactive panel discussions, and performances across five days. Some events are free, others are "drop-in" but it is best to check the programme here.

The #ExploreAI expo takes place at START on 26 September where visitors can immerse themselves in the fascinating world of Artificial Intelligence in the Douglas Hyde Gallery on campus to explore: how AI struggles with cultural context and why that matters for building fairer, smarter technologies; how algorithms spread disinformation through interactive games; and how to build digital literacy and critical thinking skills to fight back and compare human and AI-generated descriptions of artworks and try creating your own.

The expo is led by researchers from the ADAPT Centre. This event is FREE and open to all ages but registration is recommended here.

Join Trinity's Graphics & Vision Group team at Stack B from 2 pm to 5 pm on 26 September for a behind-the-scenes lab tour and explore their groundbreaking work in visual computing! The Graphics & Vision Group specialises in computer graphics, virtual human animation, augmented and virtual reality, and computer vision.

Their research drives innovative solutions with diverse, real-world applications, from real-time rendering to complex simulations. The historic building of Stack B is normally closed to the public, so this unique opportunity lets you dive into pioneering projects transforming how we experience visual computing. Discover the technology shaping the future of immersive experiences in the basement of this unique docklands location.

And finally, in Front Square, Trinity welcomes curious visitors of all ages to drop into the Research Village between 2pm and 8pm (26th September) to browse the demos, get stuck in to some hands-on activities, and chat with our researchers about everything from manuscripts to batteries, coding to DNA extraction, and reimagining radiotherapy to the impact of art on healthcare, and lots more!

Prof. Sinead Ryan, Dean of Research at Trinity, said:

"We very much look forward to welcoming everyone to Trinity for European Researchers' Night on Friday, September 26^th. This is the 20^th year of European Researchers' Night, and Trinity has been marking the event on campus for over a decade with a programme of activities designed to open up the wonderful world of research.

"The START festival offers a unique opportunity for our researchers to engage directly with people about what they do - and why they do it, telling our research story to influence, engage and change. Rather than simply disseminating their work in a traditional academic manner, researchers from a huge variety of disciplines will be on hand to chat with members of the public who can take part in fun and interactive demos that help to bring research to life."

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