We would hugely appreciate your input and help with respect to the Think Corner ‘pop-up shop’ initiative we are delivering in just a few short weeks.
We are set with the space now – Unit 19/20 in the Pavilions (acamera shot from Eliot is attached, see http://thinkpe.net/think-corner-roll-up-roll-up-for-the-research-pop-up-shop/the-space-the-pavillions/ for lots more). It’s a great space, containing multiple useful sections within it, and although we are still planning to have it open for the public for 3 weeks (25th August – 12th September), we will actually be leasing the unit for 6 weeks (at no additional cost), which gives us plenty of preparation time that we can use to either set-up or do some training if anyone would find this useful? Please let us know.
Ideally we want to have the unit open for 6 days per week (open on weekends, closed on Mondays), so that gives us 18 days to programme in total. We have roughly mapped out the shop space for the following broad types of activities:
- Talks/screenings/workshops – [Note: This is a great place to ask the public to input on research proposal development, something the funders love!]
- Mini gallery
- Larger installations/small-scale hands-on
- ‘Meet the researcher’ activities
- Cultural collections/exhibits
- Busking outside the Pavilions???
Please let us know if you would like to get involved in this great opportunity to showcase your research to the public. You can propose an activity from the list above or please feel free to suggest something entirely different. We welcome re-runs of public engagement activities that have been successful in the past (e.g. Arts and Science Festival/ Brum Dine With Me), and please do ask for funding wherever it might be needed. Time-wise we are very flexible, whether you would want an hour, a day or a week for your activity; also if you have any enthusiastic students who would like to be involved please encourage them to get in touch. If you would like to get involved please email (engage@contacts.bham.ac.uk) by the 1st August so that we have enough time to plan the programme and budget effectively before we open.
If you can enthuse other organisations you work with/ are connected to through your research area (e.g. Royal Societies or NHS Trusts) to get involved that would be great – please promote this opportunity to them as much as possible.
If you have any questions please feel free to email me direct (l.fuller.1@bham.ac.uk) or email engage@contacts.bham.ac.uk
Many thanks,
Lisa (as LES Public Engagement Champion)
@uobengage and https://www.facebook.com/thinkcorner – website coming soon!
