Social inclusion, equity & diversity: time for change
As individuals and institutions, most of us believe that science and science engagement spaces are for everyone and as such should engage ‘everyone’. Yet this belief might be standing in the way of actually becoming more inclusive, as we struggle to invite ‘new visitors’ in or to find out why some people never come through our doors. How inclusive and diverse are we as teams, as institutions? Are those values embedded in all our areas of work? How can we measure this?
This whole-day workshop will support and inspire participants to take social inclusion, equity and diversity work further in their institutions and as a field. It is facilitated by an informal international working group currently devising a social inclusion and diversity framework with measurable indicators for success. Using the draft version of the framework, we will tackle five thematic areas: access, content, partnerships, staff and strategy, in an engaging mix of presentations, case studies, plenary and small group discussions
A detailed programme is available here.
Facilitator
Programme Manager - International Relations and Learning
African Gong- the Pan-African Network for the Popularisation of Science & Technology, and Science Communication
Session speakers
University College London
Emily will set the scene by highlighting the different ways social justice and inclusion are often understood in science communication. She will present her research on how science communication practices are influenced by structural inequalities in ways that reproduce social hierarchies. She will show how science communication can operate as a technology of power, so that if we want to develop more inclusive practices, we need to fundamentally reimagine how we work.
Project Director, Our Museum programme
Piotr Bienkowski, the project developer and director of the ground-breaking ‘Our Museum: Communities and Museums as Active Partners’ programme, will lead a workshop that identifies key barriers to change, discusses challenges, solutions and sustainability and will help delegates return to host organisations with an informed and practical approach - ready to implement change.
‘Our Museum’ supported UK museums and galleries to work in active partnership with their communities so that communities have a real sense of ownership. At the heart of this process was organisation-wide change (http://ourmuseum.org.uk).
Community Engagement and Volunteer Manager
Internally motivated rather than relying on external funding, We The Curious (previously the At=Bristol Science Centre) is undergoing a cultural reposition where a focus on engaging and involving diverse audiences sits at the very heart of their new Manifesto. As a passionate advocate of social justice Jo Bryant will share her perspectives from working within a science centre and her experience of this journey over the last 12 years.
The Association for Science and Discovery Centres
National networks in Portugal, Austria, Great Britain and France are taking up the issue of social inclusion, equity and diversity, aiming at systemic change. Shaaron Leverment will, together with representatives from networks in France, Portugal and Austria, highlight examples that show the importance of teaming up with other institutions in terms of leadership, advocacy, strategy and support for core-change within individual science centres.
