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Interesting, but this certainly isn't the approach of the Newcastle Festival, it's very heavily cultural with a strong overlap with arts (e.g Helen Storey this year) and not really about recruiting scientists, its more about science and technology as a lifestyle, not a career path (especially our Maker Faire), and tends not to do big lectures by serious names for the chattering classes either, nor the 'if it's adult it has to be scary' approach (see this year's Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll extravaganza) IAN Ian Simmons Science Communication Director Centre for Life Management Suite Times Square Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4EP Tel: +44191 2438250 Fax: +44191 2438201 Email: [log in to unmask] Life - A Centre for world-class science Outdoor ice skating in the heart of the City - November 2010 to February 2011 - www.life.org.uk/whats-on Don't miss an evening with one of Britain's most thought-provoking scientists, Professor Steve Jones - www.life.org.uk/whats-on<http://www.life.org.uk/whats-on> Pre-book your tickets online for 'Wallace & Gromit Present A World of Cracking Ideas' - www.life.org.uk/whats-on<http://www.life.org.uk/whats-on> Our mission is to inspire curiosity in science through imaginative exhibitions and events, raise standards in science education and support world-class scientific research. From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Richard Ellam Sent: 25 January 2011 11:18 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [PSCI-COM] Science for Kids, Arts for Grownups? (Was Public Attitudes Survey Blog Post) Dear All On 22 Jan 2011, at 07:59, Frank Burnet wrote: (edited) Science Festivals, which are now increasing in number sharply around the world, do tend to project a strong impression that they are fun outings for kids and their families designed principally to recruit more scientists rather than opportunity for adults to engage with science and scientists, and the same has been said of Science Centres. Given that these are two of the major ways in which the image of science is projected to citizens, including the gatekeepers of the cultural domain, It is not I think surprising that the cultural dimensions of science /engineering are overshadowed by its image as being principally interested in promoting itself to a specific audience for a particular purpose. Does this not also feed the unfortunate misperception that science is something for kids, that sensible people 'grow out of'? And doesn't a lot of the 'grownup' science engagement we see talk about scary things such as Climate Change, GM Crops and so on? So science may be perceived as being either infantile or frightening, and not something sensible people want to let into their lives. Yet there are lots of non threatening and 'adult' approaches we could take to engaging gronwups with science. One possibility may be to focus on the history of science, and particularly the way that scientific and technical ideas have influenced 'general' history. People like history, and are generally comfortable with it, but much presentation of history lacks technical or scientific insight where this is relevant. Maybe this is another way to bridge the cultural gap, if it exists, and to get some money from the Arts crowd. too? Hope this helps Richard Ellam Richard Ellam L M Interactive Science Shows and Hands-On Stuff [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ********************************************************************** Further information about the psci-com discussion list, including list archive, can be found at the list web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html You may also change your settings and subscribe/unsubscribe to psci-com from the web site. Psci-com is part of the National Academic Mailing List Service, known as 'JISCMail'. 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