Revolutionary breakthroughs in neuroscience that will change health, wellbeing and technologies are the theme for a series of debates at this summer’s Latitude festival.

Organisers stress the four-day event is not just about music – and while the latest announcement adds some new acts to the music line-up, the focus is on talks and debates to entertain, challenge and inform festival-goers.

Tania Harrison, arts curator for Latitude, said: “In the past four years we have worked to bring the most rigorous, engaging discussion and research to our audience.

“My theme for the festival this year is Come the Revolution, and in the Wellcome Trust programme I have invited scientists, speakers and artists to present discussions and shows that explore the revolutions taking place across scientific disciplines: the breakthroughs in neuroscience that will change our health, wellbeing and technologies.

“This is reflected in a programme that extends from the Wellcome Trust Arena and literary speakers, to theatre, film, music and pop-up experiences across the site.”

Talks include Read Your DNA Live with Dr Joe Latimer, Dr Sarah Withers and Dr Ian Goodhead who will bring the latest portable DNA sequencing technology into the festival field for a live sequencing session.

In The Technology vs. Human Revolution, Prof Steve Fuller, from Warwick University, and Prof Arthur I Miller, from UCL, will discuss the future of Artificial Intelligence.

Other highlights include Dr Tamar Makin, UCL, Dr Aldo Faisal and Dr Isabel Van De Keere, of Immersive Rehab, examining Revolutions in rehabilitation: body representation, brain organisation and virtual reality, while The Odditorium will present Diary of a Cell Farmer looking at growing meat in the laboratory using stem-cell technology.

Additions to the musical line-up at the family-friendly weekend – at Henham Park, near Southwold, from July 13 to 16 – include Public Service Broadcasting, Norway’s Sløtface, one of the most exciting new acts of the year, raucous live act Dead Pretties, while Saint Motel will bring a dreamy-pop performance. More than 30,000 are expected to to see the previously announced headliners, Brit Award winners The 1975 and folk rock band Mumford and Sons, and American group Fleet Foxes.