Taking the Science to the People : The Festival Programme with CERN and the Big Bang Collective
Oral-In-person · Withdrawn
Abstract
Since 2016, in an attempt to reach people of all ages who do not normally go to science
events, the CERN Festival Programme has been producing Science Stages at music
festivals in Europe taking the science to where the people are. Starting with Peter Gabriel's
WOMAD festival in the UK in 2016, the programme today has expanded to five countries -
UK, Slovakia, Denmark, Spain and the Czech Republic and in 2025 ran a Science Stage at four of them.
Supported by the CERN and Society Foundation, and under the management of CERN's Connie Potter alongside
a small group of hard-working, like-minded co-producers and public outreach activists under the umbrella of The Big Bang Collective,
this programme reaches over 21000 people annually and continues to receive
requests for new festivals in new countries each year.
The large majority of attendees become repeat visitors - some even saying that they ONLY go to the music festival for the Science Stage - many stating how they felt science wasn't for them
when they were at school, they had difficulty understanding or the teacher had no time for them.
Equally the programme has had an influence on young people and
parents in educational decisions when parents discover their child's fascination for science at
these Stages.
I will share the history, production process and outcomes of this very successful programme
with the APS audience.
events, the CERN Festival Programme has been producing Science Stages at music
festivals in Europe taking the science to where the people are. Starting with Peter Gabriel's
WOMAD festival in the UK in 2016, the programme today has expanded to five countries -
UK, Slovakia, Denmark, Spain and the Czech Republic and in 2025 ran a Science Stage at four of them.
Supported by the CERN and Society Foundation, and under the management of CERN's Connie Potter alongside
a small group of hard-working, like-minded co-producers and public outreach activists under the umbrella of The Big Bang Collective,
this programme reaches over 21000 people annually and continues to receive
requests for new festivals in new countries each year.
The large majority of attendees become repeat visitors - some even saying that they ONLY go to the music festival for the Science Stage - many stating how they felt science wasn't for them
when they were at school, they had difficulty understanding or the teacher had no time for them.
Equally the programme has had an influence on young people and
parents in educational decisions when parents discover their child's fascination for science at
these Stages.
I will share the history, production process and outcomes of this very successful programme
with the APS audience.
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Presenters
-
Connie Potter
- CERN