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Wellcome ploughs £13m into UK science centres for public engagement

Main Image: Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum will transform its under-8s offer with a £2m MiniBrum gallery

Five science centres around the UK will benefit from the Wellcome funding that will help encourage new and different ideas to make science more accessible

The Inspiring Science Fund, has awarded £13m to projects including At-Bristol, Aberdeen Science Centre, International Centre for Life in Newcastle, Thinktank in Birmingham and W5 in Belfast. Co-funded by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Wellcome, the Inspiring Science Fund supports science centres to rethink what they do and what they offer to the public with funds ranging from £150,000 to £3m.

Through capital development, the fund aims to revitalise the offer of existing science centres, such as new exhibition spaces and learning centres, and the opportunity to develop meaningful engagement with underserved and underrepresented audiences. It provides an opportunity to refresh how science centres are operating and hopes it will lead to more sustainable business models, and contribute to science centre sector development through shared learning.

“Wellcome believes everyone should have the opportunity to explore, debate and shape research,” said Simon Chaplin, Wellcome’s Director of Culture & Society. “Science centres across the UK provide welcoming spaces to help make this happen and to explore the role of science in culture.”

One of the projects will see a new £2m interactive children’s gallery at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum with £1.4m coming from the fund.

Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum is one of five science centres granted awards by the Inspiring Science Fund

The interactive gallery, under the working title ‘MiniBrum’, will deliver Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) learning in a fun and engaging way through a child-sized mini-city in which children and families can safely explore, play and learn in a unique and interactive way.

Due to open in February 2019, the gallery will quadruple Thinktank’s dedicated area for under-eights, helping to enhance the visitor experience.

The playful learning environment, say Thinktank, will encourage children to use maths and science to explain the world around them, helping them to develop the confidence and interest in STEM subjects. Using hands on interactive exhibits and replica objects, the gallery will introduce children to the idea of Birmingham as a city where they live, how the city works and their place within it.

The gallery will be created through co-production with families, children, specialists and educators, alongside expert advisory panels. The plans also include an additional classroom within the space to increase the capacity for school group visits to Thinktank.

“By working directly with children we aim to create a truly unique and engaging space that places joint emphasis on learning through STEM and children’s wellbeing,” said Lauren Deere, Museum Manager at Thinktank. “It is important for us to plan for the future of the museum to ensure we are offering the best experience to visitors, while reaching a growing diverse audience in the city so young people have the opportunity to be inspired by STEM subjects and have fun.”

Applications for the next round of the Inspiring Science Fund are now open. The deadline for preliminary submissions is October 19, 2017.