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Contents
News from the Ecsite-uk Office: EuroScience Open Forum
Developments in the sector: NESTA Dream Time
Resources: 'DNA: The Secret of Life' film to show in your centre
Diary Dates: 11-12 September, Ecsite-uk at the BA festival
News from the Ecsite-uk Office: EuroScience Open Forum
At the recent Board Meeting of Ecsite (Europe) we learnt that the European Commission intends supporting a European equivalent of the American AAAS meeting (and the British BA annual festival).
The first EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) will be held in Stockholm, August 2004. A condition of European Commission support for ESOF is that Ecsite should be heavily involved. It is suggested that activities should be held at a number of science centres, Europe-wide, with video-conferencing or web-casting to the ESOF venue.
Watch this space, and www.ecsite.net
Developments in the sector: NESTA Dream Time
Are you a high achiever in science, technology or the arts, juggling the demands of a busy professional life with the desire to innovate, explore, break new ground?
If your creativity and original thinking are being crushed by the size of your in-tray, perhaps it's time to press the <escape> key.
Dream Time is a new type of award offered within NESTA's (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) Fellowship programme. It's part of our drive to find new ways of reaching exceptionally talented individuals and giving them the time and support they need to develop their creative potential.
We're offering time out - either for a concentrated period or used to work alongside reduced career commitments - financial support and a mentor.
This year we will make up to twelve awards across science, technology and the arts.
For more information and detailed criteria, visit www.nesta.org.uk/dreamtime [archive page - link removed]
Resources: 'DNA: The Secret of Life' film to show in your centre
It's 32 minutes long, DVD format; offers wonderful molecular animations showing 'real time' DNA replication, transcription, etc; very moving clips of Watson and Crick talking to camera; and viewer-friendly analogies between binary code, computer programmes and operating systems, and their cellular and molecular equivalents. Only possibly jarring factor for a UK audience is the American-accented commentary. Otherwise, your e-Newsletter reviewer loved it!
'DNA: The Secret of Life' was produced specifically for science museums and science centres. It was commissioned by the Morehead Planetarium at the University of North Carolina, and is currently on show there and at the American Museum of Natural History in New York in May 2003.
Costs would have to be negotiated with individual centres according to type of usage (educational/paying cinema audience, etc) and audience size.
For a description of the film, see the University of North Carolina website
www.carolina.com/biotech/DNA_secret.asp [archived page - link removed]
If you're interested to show the film, contact
Cathy Collis
Director, The Red Green & Blue Company
T 020 8746 0616
E cathy@rgbco.com
Diary Dates: 11-12 September, Ecsite-uk at the BA festival
Ecsite-uk annual meeting
10am up to and including lunch! Friday 12 September, Manchester Museum
The Ecsite-uk AGM 2003 is combined with a special-opportunity behind-scenes tour of the New Galleries at the Manchester Museum.
See www.museum.manchester.ac.uk
All Ecsite members in the UK will receive an invitation
Sustainable Science Centres
2-5pm Thursday 11 September, Salford University
This session, convened and chaired by Ecsite-uk, is part of the BA annual festival of science at Salford University:
Sustainable science requires a sustainable supply of scientists, and of citizens
supportive of scientific research. Science and discovery centres play a key role
in ensuring this supply by inspiring interest in science in learners of all ages.
Science centres have a further vital role to play in forming the attitudes and
actions that will turn 'sustainable development' from a good idea to a living
reality. Science centres have the resources to contribute to both sustainability
agendas. But to do so they must be financially sustainable themselves - they must
not only survive but thrive. How can income streams be enhanced without resorting
to the begging-bowl?
See www.the-BA.net and Quickfind
<Festival of Science>
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