Programme now live: 17th-26th August 2021
Every year we hold an annual gathering with sessions dedicated to skills development, networking and sharing of good practice.
This year our gathering was virtual, which allowed us to hold even more ambitious and exciting sessions. Many sessions were recorded, and links to view the sessions are provided in the programme below.
For full details of the programme see:
https://www.lifesci.dundee.ac.uk/scotpen-annual-gathering-2021
Programme: Week 1
Tuesday 17 August
10:00 Welcome and Introduction
Mhairi Stewart, President of the ScotPEN commmittee, offers a welcome to all attendees.
11:00 Inclusive Practice panel
A panel focusing on inclusive practice, with speakers from across Scotland showcasing innovative and inclusive projects with a variety of groups. Audience questions welcome!
13:00 Networking session
Come along to an informal networking session to meet other public engagement professionals and share your hopes for the Annual Gathering. Questions will be provided to prompt discussion and sharing.
Wednesday 18 August
10:00 Project Sharing Session 1
This past year has been like no other, and we've learned a lot while dealing with the unexpected challenges of lockdown, online engagement and working from home. Come along to hear from members who will be sharing project successes (and points of learning) from the past year.
11:15 Journal Club Session: Research in Engagement: what, why and where?
Join the ScotPEN Journal Club working group for an interactive session aiming to identify the research and publishing gaps in our sector, and how we can fill them in the best way possible to support and enrich our projects
14:30 SWEA Researcher Stories
The ScotPEN Wellcome Engagement Award (SWEA) has been an experiment in devolving funding decisions to local networks. Come hear about the funded projects and lessons learned from the researchers and project coordinators.
Thursday 19 August
12:00 Lunchtime Crafting Session - Lazing on a sunny crafternoon
Come along and share your crafting passion with others and decompress from the week. Kirsty Ross, Sarah Cosgriff and Lizzie Burns will facilitate a chilled-out session open to all skill levels.
15:00 Networking Session - with guest Astronomer Royal Catherine Heymans
Come along to an informal networking session to meet other public engagement professionals and share your reflections on the sessions so far. Newly-appointed Astronomer Royal Catherine Heymans will be a guest.
Friday 20 August
10:00 The Art of Engagement
Collaboration between PEPs, researchers, and artists can be an amazing way of reaching new audiences. These collaborations aren't without challenge, though. In this session Emily Fong, digital artist in residence at the Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, will introduce a smorgasbord of artists and ideas.
View recording of session *Please note, some of our artists use human and animal anatomy specimens in their work. Viewer discretion is advised.*
13:00 Project Sharing Session 2
This past year has been like no other, and we've learned a lot while dealing with the unexpected challenges of lockdown, online engagement and working from home. Come along to hear from members who will be sharing project successes (and points of learning) from the past year.
Week 2
Monday 23 August
10:30 Coffee Morning
Drop in, say hello, and prepare for the week ahead! An informal and friendy networking space.
13:00 Simple Politics Panel
The Simple Politics team work to convey complicated and contradictory information in a clear and engaging fashion. With over half a million followers across various social media platforms - many from just the last year - they have a unique view in growing online audiences and responding to public need. What lessons can we learn from the past year's challenges?
Tuesday 24 August
10:30 Sarah Bearchell Session - Inclusive Engagement
When you run a drop-in, you never know who will turn up - and you definitely don't want to turn anyone away! But how can you make your activity work for everyone? Sarah has a wealth of experience in creating hands-on activities for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND); both in-person and online. In this session, she will share her experience of making accessible science activities, with ideas which transfer to all sectors.
View recording of session - Part 1: Presentation
Part 2: Presentation and discussion
14:30 Project Sharing Session 3
This past year has been like no other, and we've learned a lot while dealing with the unexpected challenges of lockdown, online engagement and working from home. Come along to hear from members who will be sharing project successes (and points of learning) from the past year.
Wednesday 25 August
10;00 Networking Session
Come along to an informal networking session to meet other public engagement professionals and share your reflections on the sessions so far. Questions from session leaders will be provided to prompt discussion and sharing.
14:00 Community Group Networking
Working with community groups is a mainstay of good public engagement practice. This session invites community groups from all over Scotland to share their missions with us, and then allows for some informal networking time to encounter potential partnerships and future projects.
Thursday 26 August
09:30 Makaton Workshop
Sharon Tonner-Saunders talks about her innovative project Hands of the World, combining music and Makaton signing to engage with young people all across the globe. She and her students will lead participants in an interactive workshop designed to introduce the concept of Makaton and get you signing - and singing - in no time!
12:00 Final Round-up
What have you learned during the Gathering? What changes might you make to your practice going forward? Join us in summarising key points from the past fortnight and sharing your goals and plans for the year ahead.
19:00 Social Session - Powerpoint Party
Powerpoint parties are a space for people to share their passions and interests with each other in short, 3-minute presentations - with slides, of course! Sign up to share, or just come along as an audience member. Either way it's bound to be an entertaining and educational evening!
Previous gatherings
Recordings from some of our 2020 annual gathering sessions are available at https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/iad4researchers/scotpen-annual-gathering-2020/
You can also view or download the reports of all our annual gatherings on our About Us page.