Do you remember when museums were full of dusty exhibits that you were not allowed to touch, or am I just showing my age? Fortunately those days are long gone and now as a nation we are blessed with many interactive museums that facilitate all generations to get involved to learn more about the fascinating world in which we live. Examples include Techniquest, the Natural History Museum or the National Museum Wales (amongst many, many others).

As a University, the creation of exhibits is not our primary purpose, however pop-up interactive exhibitions are a great way to get a much wider public really excited about the research areas we live and breathe each day. One example, local to Bournemouth, is University of Southampton’s (award wining) Science and Engineering Day which showcases a fantastic array of activities. Don’t just take my word for it, have a look here to get a feel for this.

This example is focused around STEM subjects, but I believe there is huge potential to develop this sort of activity around all subject areas. Are there objects that you collect that are related to your research? Have you got audio or visual clips that are integral to your research? Have you taken photographs that give an insight into what you do? If you would like to brainstorm some ideas about how you could create and interactive exhibit around your research, please contact Becca on redwards@bournemouth.ac.uk / 01202 961206.

Don’t forget, the deadline for proposals for the Festival of Learning is the 31st July. You can find out some more information and download the proposal form here.