FEBRUARY 2007
Contents
Goodbye and good luck to Melanie
Congratulations to Stuart Monro
Collaborative project funding announced
Online registration opens for Ecsite Annual Conference
Wellcome Trust Fellowship on the Clore Leadership Programme
Video conferencing facilities funding
At-Bristol announces new focus to its operation
DIARY DATES: TextWorkshop training day, Ecsite Annual Conference, BIG Event
NEWS FROM ECSITE-UK 1
Goodbye and good luck to Melanie
After five years as executive director of Ecsite-uk, Melanie Quin has taken her career in a completely new direction. As you read this, she will be teaching English as foreign language to students in Istanbul and, we hope, settling into her new surroundings.
Perhaps the two roles are not quite as far apart as they might first appear. Both require excellent communication techniques, patience, good humour and a desire to see people acquire new skills – qualities that Melanie has in abundance and which have certainly been used to good effect while working tirelessly on behalf of the science centre sector for the past five years. During that time, Melanie helped establish the £33 million Rediscover fund for capital renewal, secured funding for a wide range of projects, organised master classes and networking opportunities, been a first port of call for hundreds of inquiries – and much more.
Those of you with long memories might remember that Melanie was instrumental in launching Ecsite back in 1990 when she initiated and developed a quarterly newsletter, an annual conference and a range of joint projects for travelling exhibitions.
Melanie gained a wealth of experience in science communication working in a number of science centres, including Heureka, the Finnish Science Centre, newMetropolis in Amsterdam (now NEMO) and Techniquest in Cardiff, where she played a major role in setting up the MSc course in Communicating Science with the University of Glamorgan. Her consultancy work is too numerous to list but I will mention one particular project because it was where I first encountered Melanie. Like many others back in those crazy pre-Millennium days of the late 1990’s, I was trying to dream up a science centre project to attract lottery funding. I was pointed in the direction of Melanie who was recommended as someone who could give me some ‘no nonsense’ advice and point out a few of the sobering truths about developing and running science centres. And she did. We worked together off and on for a couple of years and I valued greatly her expertise and advice.
Melanie has lived and breathed science centres for over 20 years - so much so that she has personally visited over 100 of them! I'm sure she will find a few more to add to the list in Turkey.
We offer our very best wishes for a successful career in Istanbul.
Linda Conlon, Chair, Ecsite-uk
NEWS FROM ECSITE-UK 2
Congratulations to Stuart Monro
We are sure that you will all join with us in extending our congratulations to Dr Stuart Monro, Scientific Director at Our Dynamic Earth, who received an OBE for services to science in the New Year Honours List.
A geologist by training, Stuart’s work has been focused on introducing the public to science by developing new and temporary exhibitions at the £34 million centre which has attracted three million visitors since it was launched seven years ago.
NEWS FROM ECSITE-UK 3
Collaborative project funding announced
Ecsite-uk is delighted to announce that the following five projects have received funding from the OSI and DfES to deliver pilot enrichment activities:
Investigate-uk
At-Bristol, INTECH, The Porthcurno Telegraph
Museum, Science Learning Centre South West
Northern outreach
The Centre
for Life, Eureka! Children's Museum, Ryedale Folk Museum
Parents and
science engineering ambassadors as outreach presenters
The Observatory
Science Centre, Science Museum, Techniquest
Projecting science
Inspire
Discovery Centre, Techniquest@NEWI, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum
Science centres and teachers facilitating KS2/3 transition
INTECH,
Science Oxford, Techniquest
Find out more on the Ecsite-uk project pages.
NEWS FROM ECSITE IN BRUSSELS
Online registration opens for Ecsite Annual Conference
The 18th Ecsite Annual Conference will take place in the legendary capital of Portugal – Lisbon from 31 May to 2 June 2007.
Prepare yourself for challenging themes and a new interactive programme this year.
Join a stimulating mix of international science centre and museum professionals from explainers to directors. Participate in a variety of sessions: debate the role of our institutions in society today, share coffee and ideas in the biggest Ecsite business bistro (formerly ‘exhibition market place’) to date, taste the famous Portuguese food, and then enjoy the sunshine during post conference tours.
Online registration opens on 2 February 2007 at: www.ecsite-conference.net
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SECTOR 1
Wellcome Trust Fellowship on the Clore Leadership Programme
2007/8 Fellowships - Developing a new generation of cultural leaders
The Clore Leadership Programme is designed to help develop the knowledge, skills, networks and experience of potential leaders across a wide range of cultural activity.
In 2007/8 The Clore Leadership Programme will be offering a Wellcome Trust Fellowship for someone who wants to play a leadership role in developing links between the arts and biomedical science within a wide cultural context. The Fellowship will include a period of research in a scientific environment and an opportunity to explore contemporary research practice across the arts and science divide.
The closing date for applications is Monday 19 February 2007.
For further information and to access the online application form, visit www.cloreleadership.org.
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SECTOR 2
Funding call from Futurelab
Futurelab's Call for Ideas is open from 22 January for six weeks until 2 March, with up to £100,000 and expert help on offer to develop your ideas for 'Innovative Tools for Future Teaching' into working prototypes.
WANTED: Your ideas for truly innovative tools to support teachers to learn, develop or teach in the future.
REWARD: Up to £100,000 investment plus support to develop your idea.
Full details, including guidance on applications, is online now at:
[archived - link removed]
If you are interested in innovation and education, then visit flux.futurelab.org.uk (a new blog, hosted by Futurelab, which offers the space to discuss and debate the latest in these areas)
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SECTOR 3
Video conferencing facilities funding
MLA has announced a DfES funded grant scheme to enable museums, libraries, archives and other cultural sector organisations, including science centres, to provide video conferencing sessions to schools.
A small number of grants, totalling £32,000 will be provided to cultural sector organisations that have already expressed an interest in providing videoconferencing sessions, but are currently unable to fund their connection to the NEN. The grant will support the capital costs of responsibility of the organisation.
Applications are due by 2nd March.
www.mla.gov.uk/website/programmes/digital_initiatives/
elearning/Videoconferencing
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS 1
At-Bristol announces new focus to its operation
At-Bristol has announced a proposed new focus for the science centre designed to strengthen its position as a leading educational destination and give it long-term financial sustainability.
The science centre will now concentrate primarily on providing interactive exhibitions and programmes in Explore and the Planetarium, which are very popular with the public and schools. It will also continue to provide high quality science-based exhibition and education services to schools and colleges, as well as its programme of continuing professional development for science teachers through the Science Learning Centre.
Under these proposals, Wildwalk and the IMAX Theatre will cease to operate from April 2007. Both attractions are less popular with the public and expensive to operate.
On the change, Dr Goéry Delacôte, Chief Executive Officer, At-Bristol said:
"Many factors have been taken into account in making this proposal.
"At-Bristol is now in its seventh year of successful operation and since opening in 2000 the charity has been extremely successful in securing short-term funding and grants. Both have enabled the science centre to continue at its current level of operation, however most of these opportunities have now come to an end or are significantly reduced in size.
"In addition, without the likelihood of long-term government funding becoming available for science centres in England, it is important that we move to make At-Bristol financially sustainable.
"These changes will be difficult for our staff and I am committed to giving them my utmost support during this transitional period."
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS 2
Dark Sky Scotland launched
The dark skies of rural Scotland, free from urban light pollution, are among the best in Europe offering stunning views of the stars and planets.
Led by the Royal Observatory Edinburgh Visitor Centre, Dark Sky Scotland is Scotland's first nationwide programme of public and educational astronomy events.
From February 2007 to Spring 2008, family events are being organised with the Forestry Commission Scotland. These will be run by a specially trained team of professional and amateur astronomers, students and teachers led by the Royal Observatory Edinburgh and the Glasgow Science Centre.
Careers Scotland is coordinating a programme of workshops for teachers to help open the eyes of pupils and parents to the night sky and the wider world of science and technology.
For further information about Dark Sky events, please visit www.darkskyscotland.org.uk
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS 3
The Science of Spying
From the creators of The Science of Aliens comes a blockbuster interactive exhibition examining the secrets of modern espionage, The Science of Spying. It premieres at London’s Science Museum on Saturday 10th February 2007, and will run for seven months until 2nd September 2007, when it starts an international tour.
The Science of Spying delivers a strong science message, showing how new technologies enhance traditional spy skills and enable a diverse range of people to engage in monitoring, surveillance and spying. It also raises issues around security and privacy.
The Science of Spying launches at the Science Museum on 10 February 2007. www.scienceofspying.com
The Science of Spying will be available for tour in October 2007 and they are now actively looking for host venues. If you are interested in finding out more please contact james.rudoni@scienceof.com
RESOURCE
Towards new learning networks
What should the educational landscape of the future look like? What types of institutions, spaces and places for learning should we see develop? Where, and with whom, should learning happen? This new Opening Education report argues that we need to move away from the institutionalised logic of the school as factory, to the network logic of the learning community.
For further information, go to: www.futurelab.org.uk/research/opening_education/learning_networks_01.htm
DIARY DATES
TextWorkshop training day
The Science Museum, London
Tuesday, 6 March 2007
Cost £145.00
Do you want to write really engaging text for your exhibitions, galleries, guides and interactives? Wish text-writing was more inspiration and less perspiration? Feel you'd like a grounding in best practice?
TextWorkshop will help you bring your text to life. With new ways to make objects speak, weave stories and deliver powerful messages, these small group training days will equip you to experiment, discover and learn.
Join writer Dea Birkett and museum professional Rebecca Mileham for a TextWorkshop training course that will challenge and inspire you - as well as your audiences. Practical and interactive, the full-day programme covers top tips that can quickly make your text more accessible, appealing and effective at getting your message across.
For further details of TextWorkshop, go to www.textworkshop.co.uk, or e-mail contact@textworkshop.co.uk
Ecsite Annual Conference 2007
Lisbon: 31 May to 2 June
Now firmly installed in its early summer slot, the Ecsite Annual Conference 2007 will – as in 2005 and ’06 – use new formats for sessions, more interactivity, more debates, more controversies, more networking opportunities…
AC2007 is hosted by the Pavilion of Knowledge.
Online registration open at: www.ecsite-conference.net
For details contact Aliki Giannakopoulou:
agiannakopoulou@ecsite.net
www.ecsite.net
BIG Event 2007
25-27 July 2007 at Magna Science Adventure Centre
The BIG Event is relevant not only for people running science centres and museums, but for artists, presenters, archaeologists, educators, students, front of house staff, evaluators and anyone involved in interactive communication whatever their field.
Keep up to date with all the Event details at www.big.uk.com/events,
or join the mailing list by sending an email to event@big.uk.com
Ecsite-uk
Dr Louise Webb
Ecsite-uk: the Network of Science Centres and Museums
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