Science Festivals

Our members can volunteer to represent UK Polar Network and showcase their research at science festivals and events around the UK. Over the past few years we’ve engaged hundreds of non-specialists in polar science with fun and interactive activities, from tabletop games and crafts to research talks and school workshops. Check out our slideshow and find out more about recent festivals events on our blog!

We’re committed to offering opportunities for our early-career researcher members to gain experience speaking about their work in a public, but supportive setting. Keep an eye on our social media channels to hear from our volunteers about their experiences! [Instagram, Facebook ]

Want to get involved?

We run a regular programme of festivals events throughout the year, and we send out a sign-up form to our mailing list a month or two before each event to recruit volunteers. We aim to travel to different parts of the country to support as many people as possible to participate, so don’t worry if our recent events are not located near you. We also cover travel expenses for all our volunteers.

We prioritise volunteering opportunities for early-career researchers, including students from Bachelors to PhD as well as post-docs and those coming from outside of traditional academic careers.

Have an idea?

We have a range of activities we regularly run at our science festival events, but we’re also keen to support our members to bring to life their own ideas for polar science outreach. If you have a workshop or activity you’d like to run or want to give an interactive talk based on your own research, we have spaces in our programme to facilitate this.

Additionally, if you know of a science festival or event near you and would like us to get involved, get in touch, and consider joining the festivals team for the next committee year!

Reach out

Contact the festivals team at festivals@polarnetwork.org with your questions or ideas, and watch out for news about festivals and other events via the UK Polar Network mailing list.