Public events and exhibitions
Getting involved
Have a look what is happening locally. Does your local museum, science centre or cultural venue have opportunities to talk or participate in fora? Are there local community or special interest groups who’d be interested in discussing your work?
Museums, libraries and other cultural centres also often work with researchers to develop exhibitions and workshops. You can provide the scientific expertise and they provide a great venue and experience in engaging their audience. These guides to Working with Museums, Libraries and Archives and Working with UK Science and Discovery Centres from the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement provide advice and helpful tips to get you started.
Public events and exhibitions often use posters to help engage the public with research. This guide [PDF] provides an introduction to design concepts to help you think about how to create an eye-catching display.
Cafe Scientifiques are a forum for debating scientific issues and are typically held in small venues such as a café or bar. They are informal and accessible to the general public, and take place throughout the UK. Find out more about a café in your area.
Bright Club is a variety night aimed at adults that wouldn’t usually come to a university or science event. A professional comedian comperes the evening, and researchers perform short sets about aspects of their research or teaching, all with a single unifying theme. The themes that have been explored to date have included: lust, time, space, light, food, books and power.
Funded by the Department for Business and Innovation and coordinated by the British Association for Science, National Science and Engineering Week (NSEW) provides an annual focus for public engagement events. Tying your event into NSEW can ensure wider coverage and a greater range of audiences. Get in touch with them to find out more.
Narratives are vital in engaging audiences with your work. Sign up for our Narrative Skills workshops to learn how you can captivate audiences with stories about your research.