Prof Peter Edwards and Dr Peter Hollamby of Cardiff University have developed the "Flash-Bang-Wallop" shows, comprising a set of spectacular chemical demonstrations, which illustrate several aspects of chemical reactions. The target audience is secondary school students.

The Pancyprian Union of Chemists decided to invite Drs Edwards and Holamby to Cyprus for performances dedicated to the IYC. The shows were set up in Nicosia, the necessary equipment and chemicals were prepared in the labs of the Chemistry Department of the University of Cyprus. Two performances were offered in Nicosia, on the 25th of October 2011, both in the Cultural Center of the European University of Cyprus, which offered the use of their wonderful facilities free of charge. An enthusiastic audience of about 400 (in the first performance) and 200 (in the second) expressed their warm appreciation for the spectacle offered by the two scientists-performers. A third performance took place on the 28th of October 2011 in Limassol and was attended by about 300 people, mostly teachers and students at the secondary education level. This show was also enthusiastically applauded.

The wonderful shows developed by Drs Edwards and Hollamby proved the importance of demonstrating the "magic" of chemistry. Young students are strongly impressed by the colours, sounds, flames, and explosions of real chemistry. After the shows, enthusiastic students were taking photographs together with the "actors" and even asking for autographs (!), while many asked questions about the science behind the demonstrations. Overall a most successful event.

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