Young people from Southampton help shape British Science Festival

Our University is hosting this year’s British Science Festival from Wednesday 16 to Sunday 20 September.

For the first time in the Festival’s history, young people from Southampton will be playing a vital role in helping to shape what visitors will see, hear and take part in.

Working alongside the Festival team and LifeLab, the University’s research-based educational project, a youth panel have helped to curate the five-day programme.

Youth panel member Hena Sudiqi, 16, said:

“I love how my input will play a part in the British Science Festival and it’s something I’ll remember and talk about. I have a strong passion for science, which made this opportunity even more exciting. It’s also helped me get a sense of the different science careers available out there other than just lab work, which typically most people associate scientists with.

“The youth panel has given me an insight into what the world of work is like, such as working as a team, communicating with others on the work that was set, and questioning them on things that I didn’t understand.”

Professor Kathryn Woods-Townsend, LifeLab Programme Director, added:

“The youth panel has told us how much they’ve loved knowing their input will play a part in this year’s British Science Festival. There aren’t many opportunities for young people to be as involved as this in science, but this has given them a chance to voice their own opinions.”

The Youth panel worked alongside members of the University’s Public Engagement with Research unit and partners from the British Science Association to select the activities from the Closed Call, define the criteria used for the UK-wide Open Call and choose the very places where the Festival will take part.

The full programme of events will be unveiled in the summer, but festival goers can expect interactive workshops exploring topics such as AI and environmental sustainability, as well as musical performances, comedy shows, panel discussions, creative workshops and much more.

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