University bosses are launching a new campus community space with a two-week free festival designed to make visitors say "wow".

Glasgow University’s newly-opened Advanced Research Centre, or ARC, will play host next month to the ARCadia Festival of Ideas.

Visitors can enjoy brass bands, a retro video game arcade, comedy and drag shows, an outdoor ceilidh, art exhibits, a virtual reality celebration of Robert Burns and much more.

Jane Cowie, from The Annexe Healthy Living Centre, said: “Having something where the university is welcoming the community is absolutely massive.

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"The combination of the community, university and research is wow."

ARCadia, running from September 16 to 30, aims to establish the ARC as a significant contributor to everyday life in Glasgow’s West End.

The ground floor of the ARC, which will later this year include a cafe and restaurant, is open to the general public.

It will play host to more than 65 free, all-ages events during the festival, hosted by students and staff from Glasgow University and community partners.

Those events include tours of the ARC during the Glasgow Doors Open weekend on September 17 and 18, and a family-focused programme the weekend after.

Local brass band, Brass, Aye? will perform in the ARC’s outdoor space on September 18.

Glasgow Times:

The ARC will host events every evening, including movie screenings, comedy shows and live music for an adult audience.

On the opening night, the atrium will be transformed into a cinema for a screening of 90s classic Mars Attacks!, followed by a discussion with scientists working on martian research.

Local community groups will contribute to the festival, including children's storytelling sessions curated by The Children’s Wood, hands-on stalls from Partick Community Growing Project and The Annexe Healthy Living Centre.

Music collective Hen Hoose will curate an evening of music for the closing night.

The ARC will also platform voices from communities underserved or underrepresented in universities, with events involving the Maryhill Integration Network, local charities, and the Africa in Motion Film Festival.

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There will also be events led by LGBTQ+ and Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater communities.

The £116m ARC building, which sits on the site of the former Western Infirmary, is home to a multidisciplinary group of researchers tackling a whole range of global issues, from climate change to healthcare.

A wide range of research will be on show during the festival, including the university’s response to the pandemic, including a specially commissioned theatre piece and exhibition

ARCadia festival manager Dr Zara Gladman said: “The ARC is a stunning new building but it’s the people who will bring it to life.

"ARCadia is an invitation to the whole community to get involved, and this is reflected in our diverse programme.

"At ARCadia you can meet a cute robot, watch comedy and drag, dip into the latest health research, explore virtual reality and even dance in an outdoor ceilidh."

To view the full ARCadia programme and book tickets, see glasgow.ac.uk/arcadia.