Bristol Bright Night

Bristol's streets come to life as part of the Bristol Bright Night.

About Bristol Bright Night

Friday 26 September 2014 saw Bristol’s streets come to life as Bristol Bright Night swept through the city for the first time with a programme of free activities, giving the public the chance to discover the wealth of scientific research taking place on their doorstep, and meet the researchers responsible.

Bristol Bright Night celebrated the city's place as a home for cutting-edge research through a free showcase across city centre venues. From afternoon to early evening, Bristol's Harbourside played host interactive, hands-on activities including exhibitions at At-Bristol, talks at the Watershed and street performances.

A collaborative project

A collaboration between Bristol Natural History Consortium, University of Bristol and the University of the West of England, the event was part of the prestigious annual Europe-wide Researchers’ Night programme, which saw over 300 cities running events simultaneously across 24 countries. European Researchers’ Night is funded by the EU Commission to engage citizens in celebrating the latest and most stimulating research at both a local and international level.

Visitors were able to explore bugs that glow in the dark; Robots vs Animals; learn how to build a pedestrian bridge across Bristol Harbour; enjoy pop-up science theatre; and even cook and eat with researchers while discussing how their work impacts on Bristolians’ daily life.

Dr Margarida Sardo, a Research Fellow in the Science Communication Unit, was responsible for leading on the evaluation and impact work package.