a nationwide force for promoting stem

INSPIRING THE
NEXT GENERATION
A NATIONWIDE FORCE FOR PROMOTING STEM
THE SCIENCE MUSEUM GROUP CONSISTS OF
Science Museum
(London)
Museum of Science & Industry
(Manchester)
National Railway Museum
(York)
National Media Museum
(Bradford)
National Railway Museum
(Shildon)
CHANGING LIVES
ACROSS THE NATION
At the Science Museum Group, we recognise that ideas
change the world. Our museums celebrate the scientific
inventions that have shaped our present, while bringing
science alive to inspire the next generation of innovators
who will determine the UK’s economic prospects
It is a fundamental part of our mission to
support the agenda for Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and
we aim to be the national and international
centre of excellence for informal science
learning. With museums in London,
Manchester, York, Bradford and Shildon,
the Science Museum Group is the world’s
biggest museum alliance in science. Our
reach extends across diverse audiences.
Our invitation to families
We work hard to meet the needs of
specific audience groups. For example,
the Science Museum’s Early Birds
sessions enable families with children
who have an autistic spectrum condition
to enjoy the museum free from the hustle
and bustle of the general public. As well
as exploring the galleries, families are
invited to join workshops and watch thrilling
demonstrations at these free events.
In 2013–14:
There were more than 5.7 million
visits to our museums
25% of UK visits were from people
who are less economically active
(NS-SEC 5–8)
2.9 million visitors came in family
groups – families are key to young
people’s science aspirations
The Science Museum trained 305
scientists in public engagement, from
institutions including Imperial College,
UCL, the Royal Society and the Royal
College of Pathologists
The Museum of Science & Industry
coordinated over 700 STEMNET
Ambassador volunteers, delivering
1100 activities in schools across
the Northwest
More than 1 million people visited
Launchpad at the Science Museum,
making it the UK’s most successful
science centre providing hands-on
experience of scientific phenomena
100,000 pupils attended shows or
workshops delivered by the Science
Museum Group’s Outreach team at
schools and science fairs across the UK
380,000 young people came to the
Science Museum with their school
or other groups, such as Brownies
or youth clubs – a new record for a
UK museum
A further 147,000 visitors in education
groups went to the National Railway
Museum in York or Shildon, Bradford’s
National Media Museum or the Museum
of Science & Industry in Manchester
Front cover photograph: A daily experiment in
the Pi: Platform for Investigation series at the
Manchester Science Festival
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Clockwise: Atmosphere gallery at the Science
Museum... Early Birds sessions... Explainer
show at the Museum of Science & Industry...
Manchester Science Festival activities at the
Museum of Science & Industry
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Nobody should be in doubt about the serious contribution
our Group is making to the nation’s future prosperity
by enthralling record numbers of young people – nearly
1.8 million in the past year – with the infinite possibilities
of a career in science, engineering and technology
IAN BLATCHFORD DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE SCIENCE MUSEUM GROUP
TACKLING
THE UK’S
SKILLS GAP
Research by a number of
organisations shows that
investment in science is a
major driver for economic
growth, yet the UK is facing
a serious skills shortage
in the areas of science,
technology, engineering and
maths. The Science Museum
Group is part of the solution
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Exhibitions that build STEM aspirations
Engineer Your Future opened at the Science
Museum in December 2014, with a goal of
inspiring hundreds of thousands of 11- to
15-year-olds to discover their potential to
shape the world we live in. The exhibition
enjoyed 50,000 visits in its first month
alone. It explores engineering through
three challenging interactive games
that bring to life the skills engineers use
every day, as well as revealing compelling
stories of the women and men who work
in the industry. It’s part of the Science
Museum’s pledge to support the industryled Your Life campaign, launched in May
2014, to boost the number of young people
studying physics and mathematics.
Engineer Your Future is funded by a
consortium of businesses (National Grid,
ABB, BT, EDF Energy, IBM, Mott MacDonald,
Network Rail) and the Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills, with
additional support from EngineeringUK
and the Royal Academy of Engineering
Reaching out into schools
The Science Museum Group has delivered
shows, workshops and inspirational live
science demonstrations to around 100,000
young people at schools and science fairs
across the country. In west Cumbria, the
hugely successful REACT Foundation
science and engineering shows are now
in their seventh year.
Creating unforgettable experiences
Our talented Explainers ensure a lasting
impression is made on every girl and boy
who comes to one of our museums in a
booked group. Among the experiences
offered in York at the National Railway
Museum is From Rocket to Bullet, a fastpaced live show that explores the science
behind the railways. A series of experiments
shows young people how Newton’s three
laws of motion apply to trains.
Above: Teenagers visit the Science Museum as part
of Enterprising Science
Right: HRH The Prince of Wales meets Industrial
Cadets at the opening of Engineer Your Future
Tapping into visitor expertise
Audience research is key to our success
in creating an inspiring experience for all
our visitors. 300 young people – more than
half of them girls – were involved in testing and refining content for the Engineer
Your Future exhibition.
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LEADING THE WAY ON IMPACT
AND UNDERSTANDING
The informal learning sector plays an important part in
driving young people’s STEM career aspirations, though in
the past it has been criticised for lacking formal research to
demonstrate its impact. With our academic research partners
at King’s College London and Sheffield Hallam University, the
Science Museum Group is now leading the field with such data
Enterprising Science research
Original, ground-breaking research lies at
the heart of Enterprising Science, a fiveyear partnership between BP, the Science
Museum Group and King’s College London
being delivered in London, Manchester,
York and Bradford. With a particular
focus on those from disadvantaged
backgrounds, it aims to influence young
people’s attitudes and aspirations towards
science. King’s researchers are testing the
concept of ‘science capital’ – developed
through this project – to create an
evidence base for understanding how to
build access to science knowledge, skills
and contacts. The Science Museum Group
is playing a leading role in developing
and disseminating new ways of using
museums as resources for teachers to
increase science capital in secondaryschool-age pupils, reaching an estimated
400,000 students and 2000 teachers over
the course of the project.
Enterprising Science is funded by BP
Chemistry for all
The National Media Museum is working
with the Royal Society of Chemistry to
engage local disadvantaged people with
science, particularly chemistry. A shared
objective of this partnership is to identify
and remove barriers for families visiting
an informal learning destination such as
a museum by providing support before,
during and after a visit.
King’s is delighted to be
partnering with the
Science Museum Group on
the Enterprising Science
project. The collaboration
is developing new ways to
address an age-old problem
– namely how to improve
young people’s engagement
with science
PROFESSOR LOUISE ARCHER ENTERPRISING SCIENCE
PROJECT DIRECTOR, KING’S COLLEGE LONDON
Building Bridges to careers in science
The Science Museum Group is working
with 21 schools from Reading and five
partner boroughs in London on this threeyear project to raise science literacy
among 11- and 12-year-olds, by working
with the young, their teachers and families
through schools outreach, museum visits
and family events. Academic research led
by Sheffield Hallam University has found
strong evidence that this project is having
a positive impact on students’ scientific
literacy, their understanding of how
science affects their lives and in particular
their interest in science careers. After
taking part in Building Bridges, 62% of
participants said that they would ‘like to
find out more about careers in science’.
Engineering apprenticeships
At the National Railway
Museum in Shildon, a
range of apprenticeships
is offered in partnership
with Darlington College
and Trackwork Training.
Darlington College HND
engineering apprentice
Jason Brown worked to
return the LNER Class A4
4489 Dominion of Canada
back to its former glory.
He said: ‘Being able to work
on these incredible steam
engines is amazing. I feel
good knowing that I have
helped to restore such a
historically important vehicle
for generations to come.’
Building Bridges is funded by BG Group
Google Field Trip Days
The Science Museum is collaborating with
Google on a new outreach programme
called Google Field Trip Days which
aims to engage more disadvantaged
schools and schoolchildren with STEM
subjects. Through the programme, the
Science Museum will arrange an enriched
visit for students from disadvantaged
backgrounds. Participating pupils will also
be given ‘golden tickets’ – complimentary
passes to our temporary exhibitions – to
encourage them to return to the museum
with their families.
Right, clockwise: An Enterprising Science visit
to the Science Museum’s Launchpad... Building
Bridges at Holland Park School... Tasting chillies
at an Enterprising Science family event...
Engineering apprenticeships at Shildon... Danger,
High Voltage science show... The Science Museum’s
festival stand at a Building Bridges family event
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LIFT HERE
Festivals extend our reach
The annual Manchester Science Festival
reaches people who aren’t regular
museum visitors. This year 98,000 people
experienced 120 events, exhibitions and
installations created by 50 organisations
across public, cultural, community and
academic sectors. The Science Museum’s
three-day Beyond Earth festival enabled
visitors to meet the female scientists and
engineers who develop and use the latest
technology to explore the depths of space,
while the National Media Museum hosted
the Born in Bradford festival in 2014,
linking into a long-term study of 13,500
children born at Bradford Royal Infirmary
that is breaking new ground in the
understanding of genetics and public health.
BRINGING
SCIENCE
ALIVE
We’re always looking at
creative ways to engage our
audiences, from workshops
tailored to teenagers from
disadvantaged backgrounds
in partnership with the
Prince’s Trust (backed by the
musician and philanthropist
will.i.am) to our explosive
family theatre spectacle
The Energy Show, which
recently went on a
35-venue national tour
Introducing inspirational STEM
role models
We harness the power of well-known
figures to spark interest and drive
debate. Two of the world’s most eminent
scientists, Stephen Hawking and Peter
Higgs, who took part in a Q&A with 400
sixth-form students, gave talks to open
our Collider exhibition in London, while for
the Manchester opening it was the turn of
physicist Brian Cox, who discussed how
the museum ‘will help keep the northwest’s
spirit of curiosity and innovation alive’.
In Bradford BBC children’s presenter
Naomi Wilkinson helped the National
Media Museum to celebrate its Nature
Camera Action! exhibition.
Active scientists are also key role
models. Our visitors have the chance to:
participate in research as it’s happening,
through an encounter with our scientists
in residence; meet scientists and
engineers as they demonstrate their
latest technologies or discuss the issues
raised by their work in our contemporary
science galleries and at our after-hours
events in London, Manchester and
Bradford. And of course every day our
inspirational Explainer staff – more
than half of them women – are bringing
science to life for all our visitors.
Clockwise: The Energy Show... will.i.am backed our
Prince’s Trust workshops... Nature Camera Action!
exhibition at Bradford... Stephen Hawking takes
teacher Adaeze Uyanwah on a tour of the Science
Museum... Members of the public accessing a cab
at Shildon... Peter Higgs and Stephen Hawking at
the London opening of Collider... Astronaut Chris
Hadfield inspires the crowds in Manchester...
James Lovelock at the Science Museum
Singing astronaut Chris Hadfield drew
crowds of young people to the Museum
of Science & Industry for a discussion
captured in a special BBC Radio 5 Live
programme, while Tim Peake took a break
from his own space preparations in Russia
for a live linkup with schoolchildren at the
Science Museum. And it’s not just younger
visitors who respond to role models;
NASA’s Chief Scientist, Ellen Stofan, and
inventor James Lovelock have both sparked
lively debates among adult audiences
during events at the Science Museum.
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CONTEMPORARY AND
CAPTIVATING
Our imaginative approach to contemporary science enlivens
the latest developments in science, technology, medicine
and the environment. From exhibitions that tackle current
issues to participatory events and illuminating talks, we
keep people in touch with the news that matters
Making science policy accessible
Our group of museums is working
closely with policy-makers to support
the growing focus on public engagement
in the development of science policy. In
December 2014, the Government Office
for Science and the Science Museum
jointly hosted a lively discussion event with
an expert panel on the topic of synthetic
biology, stimulating audience debate on
the risks and benefits associated with
scientific innovation.
The Science Museum Group is perfectly
placed to help draw the attention of both
the media and the public to the hot
topics in the science world. Last year the
Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser,
Sir Mark Walport, visited our museums in
both London and Manchester to discuss
climate change, and this spring the
Science Museum and the Royal Society
will once again host the annual Scientists
Meet the Media party, bringing together
outstanding scientists with journalists
from a broad range of organisations.
Above: Explainers bring science to life at a Building
Bridges family event... Born in Bradford festival
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Citizen science
We regularly take part in
significant research through
citizen science collaborations
with scientists who need
to collect data from large
numbers of people. In
2014, the #HookedOnMusic
project used an online game
and activity at Manchester
Science Festival to engage
more than 175,000 people
in a mass experiment to
understand the effect of a
tune’s catchiness on musical
memory. The results of
this partnership between
the Museum of Science &
Industry and researchers
from the University of
Amsterdam and Utrecht
University, with support from
the Wellcome Trust, will be
published later this year.
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3D: Printing the Future exhibition at
the Museum of Science & Industry
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LIFT HERE
CONTEMPORARY AND CAPTIVATING
AMBITIOUS PLANS
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Although achieving financial sustainability in a difficult
economic climate continues to represent the principal
challenge for the Science Museum Group, we are determined
to continue improving the experiences offered to our visitors.
Broadly in line with our current audience split, we allocate
40% of our learning budget in the north and 60% in London.
We hope to raise the level of investment in the north to
achieve a 50:50 distribution of resources and audience
Left to right from top:
‘Bio-revolution’ Lates...
Science Museum games
can be played on tablet
and smartphone...
Playing a game in Engineer
Your Future... Cravings
makes a colourful impact
STEM at the National Media Museum
A significant priority for our Group
is deepening the focus on the STEM
education agenda at the National Media
Museum. The museum will receive
£1 million of revenue funding over the
next three years from Bradford Council
and a £1 million capital injection from
the Science Museum Group to create an
inspiring interactive gallery where young
people can explore the science of light
and sound. There will also be an expanded
role for our Bradford education team to
support STEM learning.
Spectacular mathematics gallery
Zaha Hadid Architects have been chosen
by the Science Museum to design a
pioneering new mathematics gallery.
Lates for an adult audience
In the past year 45,000 people attended
Lates, the Science Museum’s monthly
evening for adults only. Most were younger
than 35. A record-breaking audience of
7000 turned up to one ‘bio-revolution’
Lates, organised with the Francis Crick
Institute. Its director, Sir Paul Nurse, who
is also President of the Royal Society, said
he was delighted with what was the Crick’s
biggest public event to date, where crowds
could create and drink a DNA cocktail, knit
a blood vessel and meet twins taking part
in epigenetics research.
3D: Printing the Future
Complete with a 3D printed gun and a
myriad of other applications of 3D printing
technology, this exhibition has entranced
visitors. It celebrates the explosion of
creativity and innovation enabled by
3D printing, and considers whether all
open-source data is a power for good.
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The exhibition opened in London and, such
was its popularity, we had no choice but to
extend its run. But rather than make our
Manchester audience wait to experience
the show, we simply 3D printed another
one and are now innovating in the cultural
sector by offering this ‘build your own
exhibition from our blueprint’ to other
institutions nationally and internationally.
3D: Printing the Future at the Science
Museum was funded by Airbus Group, EPSRC,
Renishaw and the University of Nottingham,
and is supported at the Museum of Science
& Industry by Hobs Studio
Cravings
Cravings explores the power of food over
our bodies, brains and behaviour. Through
personal stories, fascinating objects and
cutting-edge science, this exhibition gets
under the skin of the issues and science
around appetite and diet. With input from
Opening in 2016, this has been made
possible by the largest individual donation
ever made to the museum, of £5 million,
from long-standing supporters of science
David and Claudia Harding.
Special exhibition hall at the Museum
of Science & Industry
In December 2014, the Government
announced a new investment exceeding
£3 million to take forward ambitious
plans to convert part of the historic 1830
Warehouse – the first railway warehouse
in history – into a Manchester venue for
world-class exhibitions. This will help
shift the centre of gravity of the Science
Museum Group towards the north and
enable the Museum of Science & Industry
to develop its own touring exhibitions.
State-of-the-art interactive gallery
In the autumn of 2016 a stunning new
interactive gallery will open at the Science
Museum that builds on the success of
the popular Launchpad, which now can’t
meet with the demand from education
groups. The new space, 60% bigger than
Launchpad, will be packed with state-ofthe-art interactive exhibits that immerse
visitors in the drama of maths and science.
chef Heston Blumenthal and participation
in neurogastronomy research to help
Oxford University’s Professor Charles
Spence uncover how our senses influence
appetite, Cravings is another talking point
for Science Museum visitors.
Cravings is funded by GSK and Danone,
with additional support from the Economic
and Social Research Council and the
Medical Research Council
Dana Library and Research Centre
We are creating a new research centre
at the Science Museum to provide a
world-class environment for academic
research and a greater connection
between the museum’s objects and its
library and archive collections. Bringing
together the Group’s thriving Research
and Public History Department and
access to its library and archive collections,
the research centre opens in the
autumn of 2015.
Turning gaming into learning
We have a long and distinguished history
of developing educational games on
gallery and online, such as Launchball,
named ‘Best Game’ and ‘Best in Show’ at
the South By Southwest interactive festival
in Austin, Texas. More recent games for
iPad and mobile include Transmission,
Futurecade and Rizk, and apps such as
Rugged Rovers and Journeys of Invention,
which have proved hugely popular.
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Medicine galleries
Due to be completed in 2019, the £24 million
medicine galleries will transform the
first floor of the Science Museum into a
magnificent home for the extraordinary
collection of Henry Wellcome and the
museum's own holdings.
Clockwise: Zaha Hadid Architects’ concept for
the new maths gallery... Impression of the reading
room in the Science Museum’s research centre...
Concept for the special exhibition hall in Manchester‘s
1830 Warehouse
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INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION
It’s great to reflect
that millions of young
people have been able to get
up close to my space suit at
the Science Museum. I hope
I’ve played a part in inspiring
some of them to consider a
future in science
The Science Museum
helped fuel my
fascination with physics.
So it is wonderful to see that
more young people than ever
are getting the opportunity
to feel that same inspiration.
The museum is one of my
favourite places. I have been
coming here for decades.
And that simple fact, in
itself, tells quite a story
The Museum of Science
& Industry is a fantastic
asset and will help keep the
northwest’s spirit of curiosity
and innovation alive
HELEN SHARMAN BRITISH ASTRONAUT
STEPHEN HAWKING COSMOLOGIST, AUTHOR
BRIAN COX PHYSICIST, TV PRESENTER
We are grateful to all our supporters and
every donation has great value to us in
funding our work.
OUR THANKS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY TO:
Chris Foster, Benjamin Ealovega,
Barry Macdonald, Jennie Hills, Nathan
Dainty, Graeme Rowatt, Jason Lock,
Charlotte Arliss, Kira Zumkley, Platform
5 Architects, Zaha Hadid Architects,
Coffey Architects, High Contrast
© 2015 The Board of Trustees
of the Science Museum
For further information about supporting
the Science Museum Group contact:
[email protected]
For further information about the Science
Museum Group and STEM learning contact:
tom.oleary @sciencemuseum.ac.uk
Designed by Steve Lancefield
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