Wednesday 22 November, 7.30 – 10.00pm, at The Book Club 100-106 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4RH. 

Tickets are £6-£7.99 and available on fakenewspubquiz.eventbrite.co.uk.

See www.guerillascience.org for more information.

A new conference for anyone who is interested or involved in organising science festivals, events or activities

9 November 2017, 10.00-18.00 | National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh | £80+VAT pp

Thrilling, rewarding and exhausting: three words all science festival and event organisers can relate to. Despite the chaotic mixture of emotions we often feel, we're all in this because we have a passion for putting on exciting and engaging activities for our audiences. Whether it be fine tuning the logistics, producing a high-quality programme or meeting inspiring people, everyone has favourite (and not so favourable) aspects of their role.

 

The UK science festival ecosystem is diverse and constantly evolving, but we rarely take the time to celebrate what we have achieved or to look ahead to some of the challenges and opportunities for the sector. This is where the UK Science Festivals Network (UKSFN) come in - we bring together science festivals and non-science festivals with scientific content to consider the highs, lows and future of festival organisation and management.

 

What?

Join us at our first ever conference to discuss best practice in diversifying audiences, programming and how to effectively evaluate events, amongst other topics. Most importantly, there will be plenty of opportunities to network and socialise with other conference attendees!

The main conference events will happen from 10.30-16.00, with a drinks reception from 16.00 onwards. 

 

Who?

Although there will be a focus on festivals, the conference programme will be applicable and useful for anyone interested or involved in organising science events and activities in general. This conference is open to all, you do not have to be a member of the UKSFN to attend.

 

For tickets and more info please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/uk-science-festivals-network-conference-tickets-37873145598  

Find out more about the UKSFN here: http://sciencefestivals.uk/   

Any questions, please direct them to: Anna Woolman, anna.woolman@britishscienceassociation.org

 

Brian Mackenwells from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics in Oxford was crowned the winner of the 2017 Best Demo Award at the BIG Event 2017. 

This is the second time Brian has won the coveted award, having won it back in 2009.

The Best Demo Competition presents a lighthearted look at some of the demos you think are worth sharing; it invites you to demonstrate the maths, science, engineering and so on that really lights your fire and you just can’t help but show off to your peers. You have up to three minutes, a warm and welcoming audience and more eager volunteers than you could ever wish for.

Maybe you’ll be going home with the prestigious Best Demo Award to display on your desk, in your shed or sliding across the dashboard of your van.

There's no money to win, it's not an Oscar, it's not a Nobel Prize. But within BIG we think it is worth having because it’s worth joining in. The Competition takes place every year as part of the BIG Event and any registered delegate can join the running order. The competition is not scary, intimidating or harsh in any way – the main purpose is to enjoy what we do. It’s very simple: demos presenting STEM subject matter must be no longer than 3 minutes** (shorter, if that suits your demo), you must bring all of the equipment you need and you must sign up in advance.

20170720-IMG_0459.jpg

'Science Rapper', Jon Chase has been awarded the 2017 Josh Award for science communication. Jon was presented with his prizes and trophy at last week's BIG Event at the Centre for Life in Newcastle. Pictured with Jon above is Carole Keating, Creative Producer for Manchester Science Festival.

Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd September 2017

The Observatory Science Centre, Herstmonceux, Hailsham

To celebrate our 21st birthday, BIG is holding a party in our ancestral home of Herstmonceux on the evening of Saturday 2nd September.

Although BIG was established 25 years ago, what we now call the ‘BIG Event’ didn’t begin until a few years later and for many years, the BIG Event was held in Herstmonceux. So, we will return for our 21st birthday party to enjoy one another’s company, chat about the good old (or new) days and eat cake.

BIG 21st Birthday Party is Saturday evening's session. Join us for this only or come for the whole weekend to also enjoy The Observatory Science Centre and Astronomy Festival. Please see their website for the provisional programme of Astronomy Festival events.

Overnight camping is FREE (courtesy of BIG) if you book ANY of the options below.  All pitches for BIG members and their families are in the same area. If camping is not your thing, there is accommodation in the nearby Herstmonceux Castle.

BOOK HERE

PRICES

Adults

• Complete weekend registration = £40 (1 Sept 2:30pm to 3 Sept 6pm)
• Friday session 1 = £10 (1 Sept 2:30pm to 11pm 1 Sept)
• Saturday session 1 = £10 (2 Sept 10am to 6pm 2 Sept)
• Saturday session 2 = £10 (2 Sept 6:30pm to 11pm 2 Sept)
  
• Sunday session 1 = £10 (3 Sept 10am to 6pm 3 Sept)

Children (Prices for 4 and over / Under 4s are free)

• Complete weekend registration = £30 (1 Sept 2:30pm to 3 Sept 6pm)
  
• Friday session 1 = £7.50 (1 Sept 2:30pm to 11pm 1 Sept)
  
• Saturday session 1 = £7.50 (2 Sept 10am to 6pm 2 Sept)
  
• Saturday session 2 = £7.50 (2 Sept 6:30pm to 11pm 2 Sept)
  
• Sunday session 1 = £7.50 (3 Sept 10am to 6pm 3 Sept)

Families

• Complete weekend registration for a family of 4 = £110 (1 Sept 2:30pm to 3 Sept 6pm) 

BIG members:  login as a member first to be able to register for the member rate. To login as a member, use the email address you used to join BIG. If you can't remember what this is, please email admin@big.uk.com.

Non-members: you first need to join BIG costing £30 for the year and then come back and register for the BIG 21st Birthday Party at the member rate.

Got questions or having trouble booking?: email Ashley Kent on big (at) ashfayk (dot) com including details of your problem or query.

Places at the BIG Event have now SOLD OUT and we are not accepting further registrations. You can add your name to our waiting list in the event of late cancellations.

Now is the time to throw your hat in the ring - enter this year’s Best Demo Competition while you're at the BIG Event and you’ll be the better for it*

The Best Demo Competition presents a lighthearted look at some of the demos you think are worth sharing; it invites you to demonstrate the maths, science, engineering and so on that really lights your fire and you just can’t help but show off to your peers. You have up to three minutes, a warm and welcoming audience and more eager volunteers than you could ever wish for.

Maybe you’ll be going home with the prestigious Best Demo Award to display on your desk, in your shed or sliding across the dashboard of your van.

There's no money to win, it's not an Oscar, it's not a Nobel Prize. But within BIG we think it is worth having because it’s worth joining in.

The Competition takes place 5pm Thursday 20 July as part of the BIG Event at The Centre for Life in Newcastle. Any registered delegate attending the BIG Event can join the running order. The competition is not scary, intimidating or harsh in any way – the main purpose is to enjoy what we do.

It’s very simple: demos presenting STEM subject matter must be no longer than 3 minutes** (shorter, if that suits your demo), you must bring all of the equipment you need and you must sign up in advance.

HOW TO ENTER:

Please email Rachel Mason event@big.uk.com with your name, short demo title and a short (50-80 word) description of the demo. Please also give a brief list of the equipment you intend to use and note any safety issues we should consider. You may be asked to provide a risk assessment so if you have this already, send it along too. This information is for the event organisers and venue only and will not be published (that would spoil the demo now, wouldn’t it?)

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF ENTRIES: 11.59 FRIDAY 30 JUNE

More detail about the BIG Event

If you have any questions about the format, structure, or need a bit of support in putting your entry together, please contact…

Rachel Mason, BIG Event Organiser

BIG - STEM COMMUNICATORS NETWORK

event@big.uk.com

 

* Maybe

** Don’t drag it out - if it's a 30 second demo, take 30 secs

Do you work in the field of Science, Technology & Innovation?

Would time overseas meeting others working in your area and sharing ideas and good practice benefit your work? Would you be prepared to share your findings for the improvement of your sector, and the UK as a whole, on your return?

If the answer is yes and you would like to visit innovative programmes abroad so that you could transfer or adapt them to the UK, a Churchill Fellowship could be for you.

Applications are welcome from across this wide field, but we are also interested in:

• the communication of science and technology by any means
• the fusion of the arts and science
• efforts to encourage interest and participation in science by the public
• the use of the internet to hold dialogues

Find out more

Deadline for applications: Friday 5 May, 11:59pm 

Again this year, BIG is offering a few lovely bursary places to attend the BIG Event in July. This is ideal for people working in and around science communication, who think they might benefit from making some more professional friends by attending BIG’s three-day conference in Newcastle.  

Find out more here.

The Josh Award is the UK’s national award in science communication, established to recognise and support up-and-coming talent in science communication. Find out more here