August 2005
Contents
Debate with a difference - would you like to host one?
A new lease of life for museums
Design the airliners of tomorrow
Musiquest opens at Techniquest
NEWS FROM THE ECSITE-UK OFFICE
Host a 'Debate with a difference'?
Ecsite-uk seeks eight to 12 science-related venues to host a debate on nuclear energy for 11-14 year olds in December.
Venues would all host the same event on the same day, with some interaction between the venues. This would be a fully funded project. Venues will need to have good IT support and the ability to provide Internet access for the students. If your centre/museum/venue is interested in hosting the 'Debate with a difference: nuclear energy' in December, please contact debates@scizmic.net with the following details:
- availability of appropriate spaces in December
- a lead contact person
- how many computers with Internet access you have available
- whether you have web-casting facilities.
NEWS FROM ECSITE'S BRUSSELS OFFICE
Summer newsletter in the post
School's out, sun's shining: the Summer issue of the quarterly newsletter celebrates science outdoors - exhibits and activities outside the museum walls.
As well as many short LISTINGS, the new-look new-logo newsletter presents reflective FOCUS ON pieces, and features interviews with scientists working in areas relevant to science centres & museums - IN THEIR OWN WORDS.
Look out for the summer issue, being mailed to Ecsite member institutions this month, and contact wstaveloz@ecsite.net or enquiries@ecsite-uk.net to tell us what you think of it.
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SECTOR 1
A new lease of life for museums
NESTA is seeking creative ideas to transform existing collections and displays in museums, galleries, science and discovery centres.
The Illuminate grant scheme gives you the chance to try something new, and is now open for a second round of applications.
We invite all eligible organisations to apply for funding from £2K up to £80K, or £120K for organisations working with another museum, gallery, science or discovery centre. Deadline: 14 November.
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SECTOR 2
PPARC funding announced
This new scheme was launched at an Ecsite-uk Specialist Seminar in February, and in the first round there are three winning projects: Thinktank Birmingham, have £21.5k for 'Particle Physics & Astronomy Schools Programme', W5 Belfast have £21.3k for 'Space Detectives Challenge Days', and At-Bristol have £16k for 'Earth and Beyond'.
Centres and museums can apply for up to £30k for projects linking 11-16 year-olds with PPARC science or technology. The next closing date is 21 October 2005.
Full details of this and all other PPARC funding schemes at [archived link - may not work] www.pparc.ac.uk/Rs/Fs/Pu/funds.asp.
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SECTOR 3
Design the airliners of tomorrow, today and win great prizes
Future Flight Greener by Design is a free, web-based competition that invites British students to design an aircraft for 2050 which is both innovative and environmentally friendly. The website allows people to design a futuristic airliner and see how it performs in terms of cost, greenhouse gas emissions and noise, for the first time.
The main competition runs until the end of September and is for British students aged 11-19, but there are also prizes for other age groups including parents. Star prizes include state-of-the art PCs, flight simulators, and VIP visits to Airbus and BAE SYSTEMS aircraft factories in Bristol and Wharton.
You can win just by registering for free at www.futureflight.org [archive - link removed]
RESOURCE
RCUK Evaluation Guidelines
Produced by People Science & Policy for Research Councils UK, 'Evaluation: good practice guidelines for project managers' is designed for those who lead projects intended to engage general audiences in science, social science, engineering and technology and the social, ethical and political issues that new research in these areas raises.
Evaluation techniques are based on social and market research methods, and are suitable for a range of projects including:
- Talks
- Shows
- Teachers' packs
- Hands-on events
- Websites/CD-ROMs
- Exhibitions
- Open days
This is good stuff! See [archived link - may not work] www.peoplescienceandpolicy.com/ projects/evaluation_project.php for details. The full guide is available in hard copy from RCUK [archived page - link removed]
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
Musiquest opens at Techniquest
'Musical Encounters of a New Kind' opened at Techniquest in Cardiff Bay on 23 July. The two-year ReDiscover-grant project unveils 30 new hands-on interactive exhibits all of which have been designed and built by Techniquest. A new show 'Musical Mayhem' and two music workshops accompany the exhibition.
Musiquest Project Manager Bronwen Bird said, "We are delighted to be opening a world class exhibition. Musiquest is the biggest project Techniquest has taken on in ten years and the results are fantastic. I'm sure visitors will have a great time this summer putting their mixing skills to the test, controlling an orchestra or even playing a unique electric drum kit."
[archived link - may not work] www.techniquest.org
DIARY DATES
Ecsite-uk AGM
8 September, Dublin
At the time and place of the BA Festival of Science, Ecsite-uk holds its AGM, this year generously hosted by the National Museum of Ireland - Natural History (www.museum.ie).
Our meeting in Dublin will combine essential AGM business (including election of a new Chair, and new Committee Members) with a discussion of opportunities for sector-wide collaboration in advocacy and through collaborative projects: as our sector expands and evolves, how can Ecsite and Ecsite-uk best provide value to member science centres and museums?
Thursday 8 September, 10am thru lunch.
Invitations have been mailed to all Ecsite-uk members.
BA Festival of Science details at [archived link - may not work] www.the-ba.net/the-ba/Events/FestivalofScience
Invitation to the first meeting for Education/Programming Managers
26-27 September, Liverpool
After a number of requests from Ecsite-uk members, we are pleased to announce the first specialist meeting for education/programming managers to be held 26-27 September 2005 (2pm start with a lunchtime finish the next day), at the World Museum Liverpool.
The event is designed to provide a forum to discuss issues relating to education and public programming at science centres and museums, and hopefully lead to the development of partnership projects. Participants themselves will set the detailed agenda.
Although the meeting is free to Ecsite-uk members, places are limited to one per member institution and must be pre-booked. The deadline for bookings is 19 September.
For further information, and to book a place for your institution, please contact Dr Louise Webb, Ecsite-uk project manager, louise@scizmic.net
Specialist Seminar on 'Special events: programming and marketing'
Thursday 6 October, 10.30-16.00 at the Dana Centre, South Kensington
Ecsite-uk specialist seminars and workshops aim to strengthen networking between science centres & museums, and to improve professional practice through skill sharing.
Supported by NESTA the event on 6 October will focus on marketing and programming for temporary exhibitions, one-off events, and difficult-to-reach teenage audiences - specialist speakers in the morning, then three breakout groups for world-café style discussion ([archived link - may not work] www.theworldcafe.com) in the afternoon.
Free to Ecsite-uk members, and NESTA will reimburse reasonable travel/accommodation costs for participants coming from outside London.
For further information, and to book a place, contact enquiries@ecsite-uk.net
Ecsite-uk
Dr Melanie Quin, Executive Director
Ecsite-uk: the Network of Science Centres and Museums
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