BIG Moves - From the Chair

Gillian Pearson

I find it quite ironic that, as the Director of the UK’s smallest hands-on science centre, I am now the Chair of BIG. However, as Ian Russell often points out, Curioxity regularly comes out top of the list in the number of visitors per square metre of floor space so let’s hope I can bring the same standards of productivity to BIG during my year as Chair.

New year, new committee. Those you voted in at the AGM are listed at the back of this newsletter. You will see that we have carried out our first task and co-opted two new faces on the committee - Graham Durant and Richard Glassborow  - who will bring an important extra perspective from two underrepresented groups - those involved in the new lottery funded centres and contractor/consultants.

The notion of special interest groups has been floated a couple of times now and in 1998 we intend to go some way along the line of providing some new form of service for members with common interests.  Two possible broad strands of service might loosely be described as “events/networking” and “written materials/guidelines”. The two strands are not necessarily mutually exclusive and really it’s up to the membership. You tell us what you want. You will notice that we have made a start in this by introducing what we hope will become regular “interest group” pages in the newsletter on shows, exhibits, design and research through which we are encouraging members not only to exchange ideas of best practice but also to use them as platforms to launch new initiatives.

BIG could, and should, have role to play in the standardisation of interactive design and development. Peter Trevitt is proposing formation of a working party to get to grips with all design issues with the aim of producing guidelines for the industry and to give BIG some clout with external bodies. We hope that more such initiatives will follow as BIG takes on the mantle of a professional association whose voice should be respected.

There have been some complaints raised about the concentration of BIG events in the south-east of England. The committee is looking to stage events further north, too. Whilst the BIG Event will, by popular request, return to Herstmonceux again in July this year we really are keen to go to other parts of the country. The committee itself has already arranged its May meeting in Sheffield and plans to go to Aberdeen in September. How about offering an event in your centre?

BIG is still a small organisation and needs its members to participate actively. Let us know your thoughts on special interest groups, volunteer to join working groups or at least feed in some ideas, offer venues and presentations for meetings and contribute to the newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you!
Gillian Pearson

Newsletter Spring 1998 Contents

Centres > Satrosphere News | What is happening to Light on Science? | Inspire News | Herstmonceux News

Exhibits > BIG working group on exhibit development | What is Design? | Exhibit Aphorisms | "Here's Looking at Euclid" - exhibit idea | Roald Dahl and the Children's Gallery | Are hybrids best? - viewpoint

Demonstrations and shows > Shows at the Exploratory | Exploding Can Demonstration | Water to wine Demonstration | Nitrogen story - urban myth?

Millennium News > More Millennium Grants | Pantechniques rewarded | Millennium awards scheme | A listing of interactive projects funded by lottery grants

Research > Measuring the performance of interactive centres

Resources and conferences > Conferences and Future Events | Indian Science Congress Report | Managing Science Centres Book Review | Children's Museums Book information

BIG > BIG Moves - From the Chair | BIG AGM Report | BIG Annual Report 1997