Whale of a Weekend
Thursday 26 June - Sunday 29 June
An amazing weekend of discovery and fun!
Get ready for Whale of a Weekend, a festival celebrating art, science, polar exploration, and Scottish cultural heritage, all centred around the fascinating world of whales and Scotland’s links to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. Produced by Dundee-based South Georgia Heritage Trust, this exciting event brings together storytelling, science, and creativity for all ages.
Dundee will come alive with exciting events along the waterfront, at Discovery Point, and at V&A Dundee. There’s something for everyone in the family to enjoy, from hands-on activities to inspiring talks by explorers, artists and scientists.
You will also be able to check out the Whalers’ Memory Bank, a special, interactive digital time capsule where veterans of the whaling industry, their families, and communities have been sharing their stories and memories with the world. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect, learn, and celebrate together and hear their stories from their time on the other side of the world in the sub-Antarctic.
All weekend
Discover the Whale Memorial
The unveiling of the Whale Memorial, which has been specially created for South Georgia, by Scottish artist Michael Visocchi. This monumental sculpture, called Commensalis, tells the story of the whale. The Key Table is the first part of the site-specific sculpture and can be seen for the first time in Dundee before it departs for the island of South Georgia later in the summer.
Friday 27 June
Meet the artist and tour the Whale Memorial
10.00 and 13.00 - Join artist Michael Visocchi for a close-up tour of his monumental sculpture & hear how he created this powerful memorial piece.
Endurance Film Screening with Q&A
14.00 - Free screening of Shackleton’s lost ship discovery, with Q&A featuring Endurance22 leaders Dr John Shears & Nico Vincent.
Saturday 28 June
Endurance Film Screening
11.00 - Free screening of Shackleton’s lost ship discovery, with Q&A featuring Endurance22 leaders Dr John Shears & Nico Vincent.
South Georgia Whale Watchers
13.00 - Meet scientists Jennifer Jackson, Stephanie Martin & Jo Kershaw as they share research from the remote island of South Georgia.
Sunday 29 June
Whale Puppet Workshop
10.00 - Create whale puppets with artists & perform them along Dundee’s waterfront, celebrating its maritime ties to South Georgia.
