FUTURES2021 builds on the success of the FUTURES festival since 2018 and is led by Bath Spa University, University of Bath, University of Bristol, University of Exeter and University of Plymouth. FUTURES2021 aims to engage communities across the cities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth, and the wider areas of Devon and Cornwall with research in fun, entertaining, and inspiring ways.
FUTURES2021 is a unique opportunity to engage a broad audience with your research, both to raise awareness and to discuss ideas that may shape the research and its impacts on society as well as developing your skills in public engagement.
Funded by the European Commission, FUTURES2021 will take place on European Researchers’ Night on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 September 2021.
The FUTURES team has developed a programme of 28 different events taking place across the South West for you to get involved in over the last weekend in September. These include hands-on experiments, science shows, games, quizzes, competitions, exhibitions, and digital activities in aquariums, botanic gardens, museums, pubs, shopping centres, the streets and visitor attractions across the region. You can join in with any of the planned activities or bring along your own engagement activities.
Each consortium partner is leading on different activities and there are lots of ways to get involved, both online and at face-to-face events.
Find out more below about activities led by each of the partners and the online/remote engagement events we are hosting. If you would like to join in, fill in our Researcher Expression of Interest form.
With activities ranging from community radio to chat-based schools engagement, I’m a Scientist Get Me Out Of Here, an interactive participatory online quiz set by researchers for families and social media events on Instagram and Twitter, our online programme has lots to offer. It includes:
Collaborating with community audio producers Stellaria Media, FUTURES on Air will co-create a series of radio shows with community groups from across the South West of England, connecting research and innovation with people’s lives and interests. If you’re interested in taking part contact public-engagement@bath.ac.uk
Using social media, researchers will take to Twitter to share their research, answer participants’ questions and share demonstrations in a digital science fair. If you’re interested in taking part contact public-engagement@bath.ac.uk
Working with nature-based content creators to reach and engage young adults with their research, Nature-Gram involves environmental researchers from across the five consortium universities engaging young adults with their research on the social media platform Instagram. If you’re interested in taking part contact public-engagement@bath.ac.uk
Using social news platform Reddit, Ask Me Anythings are an opportunity for Reddit users to participate in open discussions with researchers around cutting-edge research taking place in the region and its impact on their daily lives. If you’re interested in taking part contact public-engagement@bath.ac.uk
This schools engagement project will involve creating an activity or resource for young people to carry out at home or in the classroom and have the opportunity to discuss it with a researcher over an online video conversation. If you’re interested in taking part contact futures-project@bristol.ac.uk.
Aimed at families and young people, DO Try This At Home is a series of resources, based on research, that participants can download and complete at home together. If you’re interested in taking part contact futures-project@bristol.ac.uk.
A one-off FUTURES edition of popular science engagement activity I’m a Scientist, Get Me Out of Here! will involve young people across the South West interacting directly with researchers via chat. Participants vote for their favourite, and the winner is announced during a final live chat open to all on the Night. The winner will receive £500 of funding for further public engagement activity. If you’re interested in taking part contact futures-project@bristol.ac.uk.
Hosted online, the Big Family Quiz invites researchers to contribute questions to rounds relating to their research and together these will be combined to create a fun and competitive quiz for all the family.
If you’re interested in any of these activities fill in our Researcher Expression of Interest form and check out the Cross consortium activities programme for full details.
Highlights of the University of Bath programme include science comedy spectacular Science Showoff and working a time-travelling walk around the City of Bath with an immersive theatre experience Test-Tubes and Time Travel with Kilter Theatre. Check out the full University of Bath programme for more details.
Working with the S.S. Great Britain, the team at the University of Bristol have developed a research fair aimed at schools and families. If you have demos or activities that engage people with your research, and would like to do so on the grounds of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s historic ship, the S.S. Great Britain this could be the opportunity for you. Check out the University of Bristol activities programme for full details and if you’re interested fill in our Researcher Expression of Interest form.
Taking research to the high street, cultural event producers Agile Rabbit will be working with researchers to create a Pop-Up Shop of Curiosity where people can drop in and experience music, theatre, guided walks, demonstrations, talks and workshops inspired by University of Exeter research. Check out the University of Exeter activities programme for full details and if you’re interested fill in our Researcher Expression of Interest form.
Two hubs of activity, one at the National Aquarium and the other at the new cultural venue The Box, will host a range of hands-on demonstrations, talks, simulations and practical experiments led by University of Plymouth researchers. Check out the University of Plymouth activities programme for full details and if you’re interested fill in our Researcher Expression of Interest form.
If you would like to get involved in any of these activities let us know by filling out our Researcher Expression of Interest form. If you have any questions please email futures-project@bristol.ac.uk.