BIG e-news:
Spring 2010 edition – Issue 14

This glorious weather we’re having lately is really getting me in the mood for the BIG Event, which to my knowledge, has always taken place in the warm sunshine. Now that I’ve totally jinxed it, perhaps it’s the time to remind you all that the deadline for saving £50 off the cost of your place this year is getting closer. You have until 14th May to register and pay to qualify for the ‘early bird’ rate.

Also, the countdown to the general election may be upon us, but we at BIG-land have an election of our own to think of and we will very shortly be issuing an official ‘call for nominations’ for those wishing to serve a year or more as part of the BIG Executive 2010/11 – have a think about it and watch this space.

Sarah Vining
Administrator
admin@big.uk.com

A BIG Day Out Part 2

Brian Macken, Science Oxford

So, since last October I’ve been going on monthly trips to different science centres, for no deeper reason than I like science centres.

It occurred to me that I would quite like some way to mark my visits to each centre - it would have to be something small which every centre would have in its gift shop. A ruler? I break them with startling regularity. Eraser? Don’t think I’ve kept one of those for more than about 30 minutes before they disappear into the dimension where these things go. A pencil? Aha! A pencil from each centre!

I still have a particularly good pencil that I’ve had since secondary school, so I probably won’t lose them. And every centre, big or small, sells pencils; it is one thing that links them all. But aside from the rough topic of ‘science’, pencils are about the only thing that links them all. I’ve noticed that each centre very much has its own personality and approach. Some are big and have a lot of history around them (like MOSI); some are small but offer a feeling of closeness to the natural world (like the Living Rainforest); others focus on things you can touch and move (like Techniquest in Cardiff). There are about as many ways of thinking about science as there are science centres, and realising that is one of the unexpected benefits of my little tour.

I was vaguely worried at the start of this endeavour that I would get bored and start to see each visit as going to ‘just another science centre’. But I am glad to report that I’m still excited by each visit, and every centre is a discovery (see what I did there?). And you are welcome to join me, as there are still an awful lot of centres to visit. You can either contact me at brian.macken@scienceoxford.com or keep an eye on the BIG-chat email list (I always advertise where I’m going there). And then you can perhaps start your own pencil collection.

Back to Life – A five year journey of the BIG Event

Savita Custead, BIG Event Coordinator

Long-standing BIG members will recall the initial events that took place at Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex. In 2005, the BIG Event moved from the fields to the exhibition floor, and was held at the Centre for Life in Newcastle. Five years later, a lot has changed in the science communication field, but the BIG Event remains as popular as ever.

During a look back to the 2005 programme, and a review of this year’s programme for 2010, three things really stand out for me:

1. The BIG Event remains a home to the whole breadth of the science communication. From Wendy Sadler’s 2005 session, “Going it Alone”, to the 2010 “Freelancers Masterclass”, the event has always provided a professional community for those working and engaging audiences through small businesses. For those working in programming, the Event has always been the place to go for practical ideas and content – from 2005’s sessions on communities inquiry-based learning, to 2010’s sessions on working with theatre, external partners and building props.

2. The BIG Event is the key place for discussion and debate about the sector – and giving delegates to push the agenda forward. In 2005, the big topics were exploring the potential of controversial topics and how to gain feedback from visitors. Five years on, the BIG Event will host masterclasses on funding, evaluation, public engagement and show development.

3. The BIG Event is about building communities and networks, in order to keep the sharing and learning happening all year long. In 2005 a popular Ceidlh, a visit to a nearby museum, and plenty of time for structured and unstructured networking brought together delegates over 3 days. This year, in 2005, dedicated events on both Wednesday and Thursday nights, a behind-the-scenes tour of the venue and some special sessions will ensure all delegates have the opportunity to meet.

Registration for the BIG Event 2010 is filling fast and now only a fortnight until the early bird registration closes. Join us in Newcastle on 21-23 July.

CRB checks on School visitors

James Piercy, science made simple

A recent post to BIG-chat stimulated a discussion of the CRB-checking procedures employed by schools. It seems that two issues came out of the posts: firstly do BIG members need to have a CRB check or to join the new ISA vetting and barring scheme, secondly a noted increase in schools asking to see disclosure forms was raising some concerns.

I have spent some time exploring the guidelines and advice given to schools, employers and outreach staff and present here a summary of what I have gleaned. Full details and the documents referred to will be posted on the BIG website. I have contacted all the English local authorities, DSCF, OFSTED and the CRB and have tried wherever possible to use only sources published in the past year.

Do I need a CRB check?

Probably not! Only those who work with children or vulnerable adults on a “frequent” or “intensive” basis need to be checked. These terms have now been defined as:

"Frequent" - one occasion per week or more on an ongoing basis.

"Intensive" - on four or more occasions in any 30 day period or overnight.

Most of the work we do is unlikely to fall under this definition. However most organisations would probably have a section of their child protection policy making it a requirement for all staff to undergo an enhanced check.

How often should I be rechecked?

There is not statutory requirement to recheck your CRB status if you stay with the same employer with no break in your status. Many companies and individuals will recheck after 3 years but this is not compulsory

Can schools see my disclosure?

No. The first point to make is that it is your disclosure. When you are checked both you and your employer will receive a copy of the form. The employer must not keep their copy for longer than is necessary and no longer than 6 months. Keeping disclosures on file is potentially a breach of the data protection act; employers should record the disclosure number, date and name of the counter signatory.

Your form is yours to do with as you please but you should never be required to show it to any third party. If another organisation needs you to be checked they should carry out another one. Schools wanting proof that you have been checked should ask for written evidence that the check has been carried out, as recorded, but should not be given the details of any convictions or entries on the disclosure.

“It is sufficient for schools and colleges to seek written confirmation that appropriate checks including CRB checks have been done, by whom and the date on which they were carried out. Part-time staff may use the same CRB check for two or more posts as long as they are at a similar level and the school/college have satisfied themselves about their veracity and appropriateness.”
(Briefing for section 5 inspectors on safeguarding children OFSTED Jan 2010)

Why are schools asking to see them all of a sudden?

Because they are paranoid. In 2007 DSCF published “Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education” This was meant to set in place the requirements for schools on the recruitment of staff and volunteers. Unfortunately its guidance on other groups who work in schools is not great. In October 2009 it became a requirement for schools to keep a Single Central Register to record information about everyone who has contact with the children in their care. OFSTED want to see that this register is being kept and that the details are complete. There seems to have been some confusion even amongst the inspectors as to who should be recorded on this list, with some schools recording everyone who comes into the school. Part of the problem is conflicting advice to schools. OFSTED check that safeguarding is effective in schools but “has not issued guidance to schools on how requirements are to be interpreted or met”

LOCAL AUTHORITIES issue guidance which varies enormously:

“We are advising schools to keep details of visitors working with children on their Single Central Register. Part of which will require the details of their CRB. We have overcome this by issuing ID cards with the relevant information on them. OFSTED have been expecting to see this information during inspections and could fail a school for not holding it.”
North Lincs County Council

“All schools in Brent are self governing and therefore it is the responsibility of each school to complete a risk assessment on all visitors visiting their school. It is therefore not unreasonable for the school to request to see a copy of the CRB Disclosure; however as guidance the schools are advised not to photocopy the CRB Disclosure but rather to make a note of the disclosure number and the date of issue and the result.”
Brent Council

“Schools should not be requesting individuals from third party organisations present their original disclosures in order to enter their premises (regardless of the willingness of the individual to produce it). The 'recruitment decision' of assessing that person's suitability to be used in that role following the completion of their disclosure has already been made by that respective organization”
Norfolk County Council

What should I do then?

Be prepared. Whilst most of the guidance to schools is converging on an appropriate compromise it is likely that we see this problem continuing for a few years as the OFSTED inspections impact on more schools. Decide what your response will be, it is probably not good practice to get in the habit of showing your disclosure to all and sundry or requiring your staff to do so. Make it clear to schools that your staff are checked, will carry ID and that details of the check are available.

Where do we go from here?

I will send the results of this research back to DCSF and OFSTED to highlight the varied practice around the country and see if they have any comments. I think it would be interesting to discuss these issues further and hear you personal experiences, BIG event session anyone? Perhaps it would be useful to generate a simple document which could be sent to schools outlining our responsibilities and to establish some best practice guidelines which we can adopt.

Making it up as we go along

Steve Welch, ESP KTN

When I’m in a public situation I’m always impressed by people who are good at creating rapport. I guess we’ve all seen that happen: especially when there are a number of people presenting, and there’s someone who stands out and you want to listen to them—even if you don’t quite know why.

Of course comedians have to be good at this, and the chance to study with one for a day was very exciting. Even better, the recent Improvisation Skills course, organised by BIG, was being taught by Rob Broderick, a successful improvisational comic, and Ireland’s third most famous rapper. Rob is an experienced—and very funny—comedian, who’s also very active in ‘Improv’ and has many residencies as a compere. Rob’s breadth of experience in these various situations was distilled for the participants into a sequence of useful tools and tactics that could be used in a comedy situation, certainly, but also more generally to make our relationships with our audiences come alive.

As a group of public communicators I don’t suppose that any of us were particularly shy, but we certainly had to leave our inhibitions at the door as Rob got us started straight away with some warm-up exercises to loosen our creative urges … and even the usual round of introductions took place in a rather novel way! Some of the techniques we learned were deceptively simple, yet lead to very effective outcomes. For example, employing the “yes and” technique to help create a link in your conversation as a great way of building conversational momentum. Rob gave us lots of examples of how other comics use these techniques, and as with the best of this sort of training it contained a lot of ‘oh yes’ moments as we realised where we had seen these methods used already without realising it. We were shown some useful things to practise at home—such as ‘object riffing’, where you take an object that you can see and talk about it for 15 seconds with anything the pops into your head before moving onto another object.

The day was really useful, and studying the various improvisational techniques was very valuable in seeing ways in which we could improve our audience relationships and use, for example, questions from the audience as a way of navigating through out material.

Making a song and dance of science

Deborah Syrop, science made simple

Science communication is a good idea. Theatre is a good idea. Therefore 'Science communication' plus 'Theatre' is at least two times as good.

Or is it?

There have been some commercial forays into this area of science communication theatre - Brainiac Live and Horrible Science being two recent examples. To put it politely the feedback has been patchy. It has left a lot of people questioning whether science demonstration shows should go mainstream (in the sense of doing larger scale theatre touring and charging large scale theatre ticket prices). Is the core mission confused? Does entertainment dirty the good name of education? Does 'worthy' education undermine quality entertainment?

Before rushing to defend the honour of science communication, perhaps I should first make a case for theatre. I could attempt an 'art for arts sake' argument. I won't. The key quality I wish to highlight is this - theatre engages the public. Good theatre excels at reaching people on a deep emotional and reflective level. Something that is under-represented in science communication, best known for its frothy, whizz-bang, instant information. Surely there's a lot we can learn from theatre; the art of suspense; the power of story; the creation of empathy and the ability to speak to hearts as well as minds.

It's not as if science and theatre are strangers. Playwrights have long been fascinated by the grand ideas of science and have often exploited theatre's potential to explore the historical and ethical side of science. Science-related plays have been around for centuries and there has been a noticeable increase in number over the last two decades. In her book, Science on Stage, Kirsten Shepherd-Barr notes that, whilst many plays are simply 'attempts to investigate human problems by reference to scientific ideas', 'the best ones successfully employ a particular scientific idea or concept as an extended theatrical metaphor. They literally enact the idea that they engage'. Perhaps the most famous example of this is Michael Frayn's Copenhagen.

Now it would be unfair to compare a high-brow philosophical offering, like Copenhagen, with Brainiac Live. They are clearly targeting a different audience (and using a different approach). However, drama aside, there are some striking similarities between physical theatre and science shows. For example, the high profile performances created by theatre companies such as the Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil draw big crowds using a series of set pieces to create a huge visual spectacle. The similarities with science demonstrations shows have not gone unnoticed. Why do science communicators struggle to operate on this kind of scale?

It's taken five years of work for our science theatre show, Visualise, to reach the Southbank Centre in London. Along the way we have played circus tents in Brecon, church halls in Edinburgh and the State Theatre of Musical Comedy in Baku. I've been interviewed by Croatian TV, had dinner with the British Ambassador to Romania, helped demonstrate a Wallis grid with diners in a vegetarian restaurant in Jerusalem and been given many a pep talk by the ex-NZ cricket captain. I also have learnt a little about some of the challenges science communicators face in mainstream theatre.

I'd like to offer some of my thoughts - go to page 2 of this article.

Update on Primary Curriculum Change

Fiona Miller, Assistant SCORE Manager

It was announced on Wednesday 7 April that the reforms to the primary curriculum, following Sir Jim Rose’s review, did not get passed into law before Parliament ended.

Other amendments to the Children, Schools and Families Bill are available. The new primary curriculum was due to become statutory in 2011 but it will now depend on the outcome of the general election.

SCORE has also been planning to circulate the summary document on the joint BIG/SCORE curriculum workshops held in February. However, as SCORE is funded by DCSF, we are effectively in purda as well and are not allowed to publish anything until after the election. We would like BIG members to know that the summary document will be available on the SCORE/BIG website from 10 May.

Communicative Content… BIG needs YOUR help!

Vicki Symington, University of St. Andrews

As BIG’s new ‘website content champion’, I’ve been having a good rake through the website and thinking about areas that should be edited, removed and added.

Is there anything that you think would be useful (or indeed not so useful!) for other members? How do you use the content we have access to already? Or is there something that keeps coming up time and time again on BIG chat that you would like to write an article on? A few suggestions are below if you can find the time to write a short article, or vent your opinion

• An area for ‘Newbies’ including: How to get into Sci Comm/engagement activities, Little event comments? Why communicate science? Careers advice from an ‘old hand’
• How to go freelance, or start your own STEM communication business
• Festivals – are you involved with a festival that is not currently listed?
• Science Comedy and its Merits – How to get into it, tips on doing it, does it work to deliver concepts and engage?
• Science and Art
• Considering Audiences (how to target engagement to different demographics)
• A list of training facilities and courses relevant to science communication.
• Funding – tips on grant applications and list of funding sources
• Literature e.g. new guidelines re. exhibit construction etc, academic papers and articles of interest, Government reports, Responses to important literature, a Book group? New science books, ‘Amazon’ style with star ratings/comments?
• CRB/disclosure checks – what IS the policy in schools?
• BIG Chat – can this be improved as regards new media? Should we tweet?
• Universities’ area… are you based in a university or higher education institute? What do YOU need to communicate your passion for science?

Comments from non-scientists would be very much appreciated so content can be developed for all areas of our community. All questions and comments will be read and hopefully used to make www.big.uk.com a better place to be!

National BioBlitz Programme 2010

Harriet Martin, Bristol Natural History Consortium

Interested in getting involved with a BioBlitz near you? To celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010, Bristol Natural History Consortium (BNHC) will be supporting a National BioBlitz Programme across the UK.

As part of this initiative, thanks to support from inspired students, the student volunteering programme run by the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement, we’ll be supporting volunteers across the UK to take part in these Bioblitzes.

In 2009, BNHC ran the Bristol BioBlitz, a 24 hour race against the clock to record as many species as possible within a geographic area. This brought an engaging natural science experience to over 200 local school children drawing on support from expert and naturalists in numerous scientific fields and facilitate by over 70 volunteers.

The National BioBlitz Programme will provide a platform of support to help bring more of these fantastic events to volunteers and the public throughout the UK. There are already 15 cities planning a BioBlitz, and BNHC is eager to encourage more, and help facilitate these events in any way possible.

Along with supporting BioBlitzes and student involvement across the UK, BNHC is hosting a dedicated website for all UK BioBlitzes that have been in touch with us. This can be found at www.bioblitzuk.org.uk and sits alongside our National New Media campaign consisting of a dedicated blog, facebook, twitter, and online volunteer recruitment. Just click each link for a further look at what’s happening!

For further information on student volunteering at your event, or if you are interested in getting involved with a BioBlitz in your area please contact Harriet Martin, National BioBlitz Programme Manager at harriet@bnhc.org.uk.

Big People:
Ian Simmons

Job

Science Communication Director, Centre for Life, Newcastle

A typical day at work consists of

There isn’t a typical day really, but I always start by catching up with my team, check emails and Twitter, and the rest of the day is likely to contain things like:

• Having a meeting about our Curiosity Gallery, we’re ready to recruit contractors for the under 7’s area, and plan setting up a workshop to build the rest
• A meeting about plans for a Mini-medical school in collaboration with the University of the Third Age.
• Discussion with our CEO Linda Conlon about plans for our 10th birthday celebration
• Go up to Lifelab to discuss budgets with Noel Jackson, my Head of Education, sign off lots of orders for chemicals for our Wellcome-funded PCR labs.

What got you into this career?

Accident really. I had spent a couple of years teaching and wanted to do something more rewarding. I had taken a school group to an early version of Launchpad and really liked it and also seen Science Projects’ Discovery Dome when it came to Norwich (I later worked for them, running Inspire, and married someone who was working as an Explainer in the Dome at the time, although we didn’t meet until years later). I had done some temporary and voluntary museum stuff when I responded to an ad in Museums Journal for someone to set up a science centre at Snibston. No one in hands-on at the time (1988) read the Journal, and it turned out I was the only applicant who wasn’t applying because they really wanted to work with the historic objects. I later found I’d actually come second on their interview scoring system, but they fiddled it because I was so enthusiastic about science centres!

What is the best thing about your job?

When I go out on the floor I see thousands of people really enjoying things that I have been responsible for putting on.

... and the worst?

Fundraising. Fortunately The Centre for Life is financially secure from its own commercial activities, so we don’t need to constantly search for revenue funding in order to keep the doors open, but we still have to hunt down money to renew exhibitions. People who will put serious money into science centres are few and far between, so it needs a lot of effort and ingenuity to track money down and secure it.

What is your favourite meal?

Steak and Mushrooms – fillet or sirloin, nice and rare, portabella mushrooms, fried in butter, mash, broad beans, onion gravy. I like my food.

What is your favourite smell?

Sandalwood

What talents do you possess?

I can cook pretty well, and I’ve done all sorts of writing over the years from marketing blurb to academic papers, and even a bunch of toilet books based on funny press.

What talents would you like to possess?

I would like to be able to sing. Every so often I meet someone who says that anyone can learn to sing with a bit of training, but then they hear my efforts and walk away shaking their heads.

Which actor do you think should play you in the film of your life?

There was a film in the ‘90s in which Charlie Sheen looked remarkably like I did at the time, although I’m not sure I’d like to be associated with him these days. For visual accuracy you’d probably need to go for Timothy Spall. On the other hand, a friend of mine who is essentially a thin scruffy hippy with thick specs had Patrick Stewart cast to play him in a film, so who knows!

Which living person do you most admire and why?

I am pretty impressed by my friend Rachel who has managed to bring up her son to be a delightful, polite, well balanced individual singlehandedly despite little money, poor health and all kinds of other difficulties and still remain positive, enthusiastic and up for trying new things.

Most beautiful place on earth?

Blythburgh church in Suffolk takes a lot of beating

What is your Motto for life?

Sharpei Diem (Seize the Wrinkled Dog)

With best wishes from the BIG Executive 2009-10…

James Piercy, Chair
Andy Lloyd, Vice Chair
Rachel Mason, Treasurer
Natasha Verniquet, Secretary
Savita Custead, Event Coordinator
and Sarah Vining, Administrator

Contact BIG