ECSITE in the UK: What is it all about?

ECSITE-UK: the science and discovery centre net-work was introduced to BIG members at the BIG EVENT 2001 by Colin Johnson, the Chair of ECSITE-UK and Director of Techniquest.

The science centre movement has been developing in the UK for 20 years. The UK centres are recognised to be the most active and diverse in Europe.
"ECSITE-UK: the science and discovery centre network" now has a formal existence! It has been established as a committee of the Brussels-based parent organisation, ECSITE, with its funds held by the British Association for the Advancement of Science.

ECSITE has about 75 members in the UK, and all - by virtue of this membership -automatically become members of the new body We owe a great deal to the practical and financial support of the Wellcome Trust for making this possible. I am pleased to tell you that funding has now been promised both by the Trust and by the OST which will enable us to set up an office and appoint an Executive Director.
By way of background I should remind you that a meeting at the Wellcome Trust held on 10 April 2001 included representatives from 40 member institutions. From a list of 17 nominees, a committee of 8 members and a chair were elected. A list of committee members and our contact details is given below (See box). You will notice that we are geographically a well dispersed group, and that we represent centres of very different sizes and types.

We have held our first two Committee meetings, and received a considerable amount of information and advice from the setting up team based at the Wellcome Trust: Gillian Thomas OBE (formerly Chief Executive of @t-Bristol) who has been Acting Executive Director, Melanie Quin (Science Communication Director at Techniquest) and Nick Dixon (Network Co-ordinator for the group of centres funded by the Wellcome Trust).

There are many issues and opportunities for us to address. A network led by a committee of already busy people has no choice but to be selective, and to listen to advice in prioritising its goals. For this reason, we will rely on the skills, judgement and networking ability of the Executive Director - and also, crucially, upon a good flow of information and advice from members, such as yourself. It is therefore vital to be clear about our strategic priorities. These are to: provide advocacy for the sector, and act as a point of reference for those who need to understand the nature and educational contribution of the science and discovery centres help member institutions to be successful in their own right, through a range of shared initiatives, communication mechanisms and professional development opportunities
It is already clear that we must concentrate our efforts upon the important issues which unite us, for we are a diverse constituency, and much effort could be dissipated in seeking to accommodate the needs of a particular kind of centre or a specifically regional matter. We are aware that other, more specialised networks exist to fulfil these needs.

We are about to appoint an Executive Director, who will be appointed by and report to your new Committee. Since our funding will be held by the BA, the new appointee will join the staff of the BA on a contract which reflects the terms of our funding agreements. The Science and Discovery Centre Network thus has four key aims:

• to establish a major capital fund for the refurbishment of science centres and their exhibitions
• to develop funding for programmes of education and widening access to science and technology
• to advocate government recognition for science centres and science as a cultural resource - equality of treatment with other cultural resources, such as museums, galleries and heritage centres is sought
• to raise the profile and quality of science centres UK-wide, and establish their role as a forum for the research community and industry to engage in dialogue with the general public.

Colin Johnson, the Director of Techniquest Science Discovery Centre in Cardiff, was recently elected as the first Chair of ECSITE-UK for a two-year term.

ECSITE-UK COMMITTEE
Sally Montgomery, W5, Belfast
Peter Briggs, the BA, London
Linda Conlon, International Centre for Life, Newcastle
Tristram Besterman, The Museum of Manchester
Paul Smith, Glasgow Science Centre
Gillian Pearson, The Oxford Trust
Alistair Flett, Satrosphere, Aberdeen
Jonathan Bryant, Think Tank, Birmingham
Ian Simmons, Inspire, Norwich
Gail Bromley, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Colin Johnson, Techniquest, Cardiff

Newsletter Autumn 2001 Contents

From the Chair
Universeum. Sweden
Explainer report
ECSITE in the UK
Convenor at the BIG Event
An explainers' Big Event