Inspiring Science Fund awards share of £13m to five UK science centres
Five science centres in the UK are to receive a combined £13m (US$17m, €14.2m) in funding to encourage new and different ideas that will help to make science more accessible to the general public.
Awarded through the Inspiring Science Fund – a partnership between the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Wellcome Trust – the fund offers new capital developments such as new exhibition spaces and learning centres, and the opportunity to develop meaningful engagement with underserved and underrepresented audiences.
Newcastle’s International Centre for Life has been awarded £2.6m (US$3.4m, €2.8m), which will be used to create new exhibitions and a programme of science engagement initiatives with community groups in the region.
Called Creative Explorations, the project will feature a space-themed exhibition and a maker space, which will be able to be displayed in the science centre and at community venues and events across the North East of England. Alongside this, funds will be used to create a more targeted community programme, looking specifically at teenagers with autism, young people in the care system and the foundation of a new Children’s Community in the west of Newcastle.
Science centre At-Bristol, soon to relaunch as We The Curious, will receive £3m (US$3.9m, €3.3m) from the fund, with a new aim to “create a culture of curiosity” as a “multi-disciplinary space where science and culture collide and collaborate.”
As part of the investment, the centre will revamp its foyer, café and shop, to create an open public space, while a brand new feature exhibit is being created on the ground floor.
Thinktank – the science museum in Birmingham – has been awarded £1.4m (US$1.8m, €1.5m) for its child-sized mini city, aiming to deliver new methods of teach STEM subjects to young children.
Due to open in February 2019, the £2m (US$2.6m, €2.2m) 1,000sq m (10,800sq ft) interactive gallery will quadruple the science museum’s space dedicated to under eights, with the new addition to be supported by a programme of community co-production and early years research.
In Scotland, Aberdeen Science Centre will receive £3m (US$3.9m, €3.3m) towards its £4.7m (US$6m, €5.1m) redevelopment, which will double existing exhibition space at the museum.
In addition to increasing it capacity, the expansion “will bring the science centre into the 21st century”, as it is transformed into a “future looking hub”.
Finally in Northern Ireland, Belfast’s W5 will receive £3m (US$3.9m, €3.3m), which will be used to create new immersive exhibition areas and experiences where visitors can become fully absorbed and engaged. According to W5, new approaches to technology financed by the fund will enable dynamic content and create more flexibility in how the space can be used.
“Wellcome believes that everyone should have the opportunity to explore, debate and shape research,” said Simon Chaplin, director of culture and society at Wellcome.
“Science centres across the UK provide welcoming spaces that ignite curiosity and enable visitors to explore the role of science in culture. We are delighted to be supporting the creation of exciting and inclusive new science experiences as well as helping to sustain these science centres for the future.”
Applications for the next round of Inspiring Science Fund funding are now open. The deadline for preliminary submissions is 19 October.
Inspiring Science Fund Wellcome Trust Creative Explorations Science centres International Centre for Life At-Bristol We The Curious Thinktank
Aberdeen Science Centre set to double exhibition space following £4.7m redevelopment
Science centres must help public recognise truth in post-truth era, says Linda Conlon
Portugal's science minister urges science communicators to stick to their 'unique and critical mission'
NASA grants Orlando Science Center US$1.2m to develop STEM scheme for critically-ill
'Life Everywhere' for Ecsite as Porto conference programme revealed
Ecsite highlights science centre trends for 2017
Greensboro Science Center doubling size of zoo with US$10m expansion plan
Ecsite brings together senior members for 2016 Directors Forum
Carnegie Science Center plans US$21m pavilion to host travelling exhibitions
Educational institution puts scientific spin on Pokémon Go
FEATURE: People profile – Herbert Münder
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
