The Energy Show uses storytelling, interactive stage performance to explore sources of energy
It might be the hair-raising Van de Graaff generator.
It might be the electromagnetic force of the Faraday cage.
It might be the crackle and spark of the seven-foot-high, 500,000-volt Tesla coil.
But whatever the catalyst, you’ll be sure to get a charge out of the Ontario Science Centre’s Energy Show.
This 30-minute, family-friendly presentation is staged daily at the Toronto-based Ontario Science Centre, and explores the roles that various sources of energy play in our lives.
“Energy underpins modern life, and energy requirements around the world continue to grow,” says Maurice Bitran, CEO and Chief Science Officer at the Ontario Science Centre. “To serve these needs in a sustainable way, we need to understand energy sources, generation and storage.”
The Energy Show, presented through a supporting partnership with Enbridge Gas Distribution, uses storytelling and an interactive stage performance to illustrate scientific principles.
A year in the making, the Energy Show was created, researched and developed in-house by the facility’s scientists, educators, designers and craftspeople. Through interactive investigation and experimentation, younger audiences will learn about renewable and non-renewable sources of energy.
“We wanted to try a brand new theatrical experience—something new for our visitors that’s unlike anything they’ve seen from us before,” remarks Rachel Ward-Maxwell, a researcher and programmer for the Ontario Science Centre.
Enbridge exists to fuel quality of life, and believes an all-of-the-above energy supply strategy will be needed to meet rising global energy demands—including natural gas, an abundant, low-cost, clean-burning fuel that’s an essential element of a lower-carbon future.
With burning bubbles, high-voltage experiments and electrostatic excitement, the Energy Show is on now at the Ontario Science Centre, and is included with general admission.
“Energy is such a basic necessity of life,” says Bitran. “It’s important for all of us, especially the younger generation, to be aware of the types of energy—and the innovations associated with them.”
