CAT at 50 - Summer Celebration - Centre for Alternative Technology

This year marks the Centre for Alternative Technology’s 50-year anniversary, and we would love you to join us on 19 August for a special family-friendly open day celebrating this incredible milestone. 

For half a century, we’ve been exploring practical solutions, providing hands-on learning, and working together towards a better future for all. Enjoy a snapshot of CAT in a day packed full of family-friendly activities, workshops, talks, tours, music and more. Everyone’s welcome and entry is free for the day.

Child looks at moth — Explore CAT’s woodlands and wild spaces and hone your nature-spotting skills.

When: Saturday 19th August from 10am to 5:30pm.

Where: Centre for Alternative Technology, SY20 9AZ.

Free entry all day!

What’s on

Is there a budding engineer in the family? Drop into our energy hub to get hands-on with wind power, hydro, solar and more with our education team.

Get creative in our Architects of the Future workshop, where our Sustainable Architecture lecturers will be inspiring curious minds to imagine the towns and buildings of the future.

Family sitting at a table with pens, paper and post it notes. — Create your own future world in our Bold Futures workshop.

Explore CAT’s woodlands and wild spaces and hone your nature-spotting skills. From a morning moth release to pond explorers to birdsong identification, we’ll be finding out more about the incredible wildlife that shares our site.

Create your own future world in our Bold Futures workshop – imagine what you’d like the world to be like in 10, 20, 50 years’ time, and explore how we can make it happen.

Hear more about CAT’s work and future plans, with talks, tours and information stands. From our Graduate School and short courses to our Free Information Service, drop in and find out more.

Child using an electric microscope to look at creatures in soil — Drop into our energy hub to get hands-on with wind power, hydro, solar and more.

Join one of our special anniversary guided tours to hear about CAT’s incredible 50-year history from some of the people who helped make it happen – plus get tips and advice for what you can do in your own home.

Discover how satellite data is helping scientists understand and address climate change – Prof Richard Lucas will be on hand to introduce the incredible ‘Living Wales’ project.

Explore the extraordinary story of human beings and energy, from the Big Bang to Big Oil, in an inspiring interactive session – how did we get here, and what can we do about it?

Enter a world of myth and legend with local storyteller Peter Stevenson as he brings to life ancient folk tales – what they can teach us about the world today?

All this plus live music, delicious food from the CAT café – and cake!

We’d love you to join us!

You can pre-book a place using the form below, or just come along and join us on the day.

Please note that parking is limited – take a look at how to get to CAT by bike, foot or public transport, including a regular bus service from Machynlleth and Dolgellau/Corris. If you’re coming by car, please arrive early to secure a space.

Family cycling to CAT