SciComm South West Conference 2024
Hosted by Science Communication Unit at UWE Bristol.
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Key Information:
- Date and time
- Fri 07 June 2024
09:00 - 16:30 - Location
- UWE Bristol, Frenchay Campus, Further info
- Contact
- Jane Wooster jane.wooster@uwe.ac.uk
- Cost
- Please see ticket prices as listed above.
- Attendance
- Booking required
About the event
The South West is a hub for science communication, with a wide range of organisations contributing to the sector.
At this second SciComm South West conference, we will offer an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of this expertise and reflect on the challenges we face. We will also celebrate the 20th Anniversary of our MSc Science Communication programme at UWE Bristol.
The conference will focus on how we, as a collective, foster a brighter future for the research and practice of science communication… and for society? And how does our regional hub fit within the global picture of science communication, and local, on-the-ground action?
The event will run from 10:00 to 16:30 (09:00 registration) and will include lots of opportunities to network and problem solve, with optional celebratory activities in the evening. The conference will be held in-person on UWE Bristol's Frenchay Campus.
Call for proposals
Call categories
Want to shape the programme? Submit your ideas to one of the below categories and we’ll pick a selection that reflects the diverse interests of the community. Deadline for submissions is Friday 8 March 2024.
Traditional presentation with Q&A
Can you wow audiences in 20 minutes or less? What insights can you share with the community and what insights can they offer you?
These presentations will give speakers the opportunity to talk about projects they’ve been working on to celebrate successes and/or ask for help from the community. Be prepared for a 15 minute presentation with five minutes Q&A.
Show and tell
Do you have examples of best practice? Do you have an inspirational story to share with peers? What advice do you seek?
Whether it’s an engaging science experiment, a rap about the reproductive system or a collection of stories from people experiencing the effects of climate change, we want to hear it! You’ll have 20 minutes to share your ideas with our audiences, in as creative a manner as you choose.
The fix it factory
What can we do to widen participation? How can my idea wow audiences? What innovative ways are there to get (more) funding?
Put forward your challenge and we’ll crowdsource some solutions. We’d suggest five minutes to outline your problem, with 15 minutes for us to find the solution.
How to submit
We have now closed proposal submission and will be sharing the programme soon.
Programme
We are delighted to announce that Dr Lindsay Keith and Wyn Griffiths will be the keynote speakers for SciComm South West 2024.
Read their keynote abstract below.
The practice of inclusion: Reflecting on assumptions, definitions and underlying processes
SMASHfestUK is an award-winning festival which was designed ‘in the community, with the community, by the community’ through participatory design and action research to create the UK's first design-led inclusive STEM and Arts festival. The festival developed evidence based principles of engagement, immersion and narrative transportation to work with young people from areas facing socio-economic challenges and intersecting disadvantages as creators, producers, facilitators and audiences. This created welcoming and meaningful events and productions that attracted a high proportion of audiences new to informal STEM and Arts events and who were representative of the host areas. Their process and practice challenged some existing assumptions about what inclusion really means.
In this keynote, Lindsay and Wyn will reflect on the evolution of their principles and methods through a series of lenses over time, across practice landscapes and through neurodivergent perspectives. Discussing the design of their methods, approaches and programmes, they will explore how SMAShfestUK aimed to create inclusion that produced a reciprocal sense of belonging, of ownership, of resonance and meaning to all participants. They will discuss how to co-create programmes and experiences that embed agency, celebrate and build identity and embodiment. Finally they’ll reflect how, although progress has been made in their own practices, continual development is critical and how this is supported by an ‘everything is a prototype’ mindset.
A draft programme for the conference will be available shortly
Registration and tickets
Conference registration is now open.
Ticket prices are on a sliding scale to allow as many people to attend as possible. Payment details will be sent once you have completed the registration form.
Full rates
- Full price: £75 (available to full-time sci comm researchers and practitioners) lunch and refreshments included.
- Student/concessions: £35 (reduced-rate tickets for those on low incomes (<£15,000), unemployed, retired or students). Lunch and refreshments included.
Cancellation and refund policy
In the event that you are unable to attend the conference, please notify scicommsw@uwe.ac.uk as soon as possible. If we unable to reallocate your ticket, there will be associated fee penalties:
- withdrawal over two weeks in advance – no penalty
- between one and two weeks in advance - 50% of total fee
- less than one week in advance - no reimbursement of fee.
- Cost: Please see ticket prices as listed above.
- Attendance: Booking required
Location
UWE Bristol
Frenchay Campus
Coldharbour Lane
Bristol
BS16 1QY
UK
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The SCU is internationally renowned for its diverse and innovative activities, designed to engage the public with science.