The Ada Scotland Festival brings together partners involved in addressing the issue of gender balance in Computing Science and tech in Scotland. The University of Glasgow’s Dr Matthew Barr founded the Festival, alongside co-founders Dr Ella Taylor-Smith (Edinburgh Napier University) and Toni Scullion (dressCode). Matt continues to act as Festival Director, with delivery overseen by Festival Leads Anna Doyle and Claire Johnston (University of Glasgow). The Festival is also supported by a national network of Champions, representing both public and private sector organisations.

The Ada Scotland Festival grew out of a SICSA-supported workshop organised by Matt at the University of Glasgow. The workshop brought together employers, lecturers and teachers to identify ways in which the continuing gender imbalance in Computing Science might be addressed. The need for a more joined-up approach was one of the outcomes of the workshop, and that’s where the Festival comes in.

While the Festival takes the form of a series of scheduled events (around Ada Lovelace Day in October), the Festival website provides a persistent platform for organisations to engage with the public. 

Together, we can offer a more joined up approach to tackling gender imbalance in Computing Science, playing to individual partners’ strengths while improving the visibility of all concerned.