“Be the change” — how Cheltenham Science Festival used a central theme to centre social change within the festival

Kerr, Gary; Whittle, Emma; Navin, Marieke

Abstract

‘Be the change’ (BTC) was the theme for Cheltenham Science Festival. BTC set out to empower audiences as individuals and as a collective to enact positive change across a wide range of global issues linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We examine the role of theming within festivals and analyse how BTC centred social change within the science festival. We conclude by noting that science festivals do not have to have science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) themes, but can instead be themed around global social issues.

Citation

Kerr, G., Whittle, E., & Navin, M. (2022). “Be the change” — how Cheltenham Science Festival used a central theme to centre social change within the festival. Journal of Science Communication, 21(06), Article R07

• Journal Article Type: Book Review
• Acceptance Date: Aug 2, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Oct 10, 2022
• Publication Date: Oct 10, 2022
• Deposit Date: Oct 18, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 18, 2022
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 06
• Article Number: R07
• Keywords: Informal learning; Public engagement with science and technology; Social inclusion
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2935911
• Publisher URL: https://jcom.sissa.it/archive/21/06/JCOM_2106_2022_R07