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Festival hiatus, resilience and innovation during COVID-19: learnings from the Edinburgh festivals (2023)
Journal Article
Ali-Knight, J., Kerr, G., Stewart, H., & Holmes, K. (2023). Festival hiatus, resilience and innovation during COVID-19: learnings from the Edinburgh festivals. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 14(2), 170-188. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijefm-08-2022-0068

Purpose In this paper, we explore how Edinburgh’s key Festivals have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their response presents the emergence of more innovative festival delivery models and a different imagining of the festival space. Design/met... Read More about Festival hiatus, resilience and innovation during COVID-19: learnings from the Edinburgh festivals.

“Be the change” — how Cheltenham Science Festival used a central theme to centre social change within the festival (2022)
Journal Article
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

‘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... Read More about “Be the change” — how Cheltenham Science Festival used a central theme to centre social change within the festival.

Levelling the playing field: lessons from sport on re-framing science engagement as a benefit to the individual (2022)
Journal Article
Keith, L., & Kerr, G. (2022). Levelling the playing field: lessons from sport on re-framing science engagement as a benefit to the individual. Journal of Science Communication, 21(4), Article A03. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.21040203

The workforces of the Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) industries suffer from skills gaps and lack diversity. Science engagement activities e.g. science festivals, often try to solve these problems through targeting audiences und... Read More about Levelling the playing field: lessons from sport on re-framing science engagement as a benefit to the individual.

"The Arcade" at Cheltenham Science Festival (Curator) (2022)
Exhibition / Performance
Kerr, G. (2022). "The Arcade" at Cheltenham Science Festival (Curator). [Exhibition]. Exhibited at Cheltenham Science Festival, Imperial Gardens, Cheltenham. 7 June 2022 - 12 June 2022. (Unpublished)

The game is on – get set for an awesome adventure in The Arcade and put your skills to the test in a series of fun, creative and cryptic challenges. Can you make, break and create? Can you work in a team and spot things others might have missed? If y... Read More about "The Arcade" at Cheltenham Science Festival (Curator).

Covid & Innovation within Edinburgh's Festivals: Post-Covid-19 Recovery, Innovation & Technology (2022)
Report
Stewart, H., Ali-Knight, J., Kerr, G., & Holmes, K. (2022). Covid & Innovation within Edinburgh's Festivals: Post-Covid-19 Recovery, Innovation & Technology. Edinburgh Napier University

The COVID-19 pandemic created a global hiatus for events and festivals. The requirement for whole countries to stay at home and avoid contact with other people led to numerous events and festivals being paused, cancelled or redeveloped into a virtual... Read More about Covid & Innovation within Edinburgh's Festivals: Post-Covid-19 Recovery, Innovation & Technology.

Unlock & Revive: The ingredients needed to deliver accessible online cultural and heritage events that bring positive benefits to people living with dementia (2022)
Report
Stewart, H., Smith, S., Baxter, R., Ali-Knight, J., & Kerr, G. (2022). Unlock & Revive: The ingredients needed to deliver accessible online cultural and heritage events that bring positive benefits to people living with dementia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh Napier University

Unlock & Revive is a multi-disciplinary action-research project that involves multiple partners. It is a highly collaborative project aimed at supporting the wellbeing of people living with dementia (PWD) and their caregivers in the Edinburgh and Lot... Read More about Unlock & Revive: The ingredients needed to deliver accessible online cultural and heritage events that bring positive benefits to people living with dementia.

The ‘Senses Framework’: A relationship-centred approach to co-producing dementia events in order to allow people to live well after a dementia diagnosis (2021)
Journal Article
Stewart, H., Ali-Knight, J., Stephen, S., & Kerr, G. (2022). The ‘Senses Framework’: A relationship-centred approach to co-producing dementia events in order to allow people to live well after a dementia diagnosis. Event Management, 26(1), 157-175. https://doi.org/10.3727/152599521X16192004803683

Dementia is a progressive disorder that affects how the brain works, and in particular the ability to remember, think and reason. It affects speech, mood, mobility, behavior and how people perceive and respond to the world around them. Contemporary a... Read More about The ‘Senses Framework’: A relationship-centred approach to co-producing dementia events in order to allow people to live well after a dementia diagnosis.

FameLab, cultural relations and 'going virtual' at the time of a pandemic (2021)
Report
Kerr, G. (2021). FameLab, cultural relations and 'going virtual' at the time of a pandemic. London: British Council

EDITOR'S NOTES This contribution by Gary Kerr, taking the example of one of the British Council’s flagship partnership programmes – FameLab – covers the notion and nature of science diplomacy as cultural relations, situating the programme at the he... Read More about FameLab, cultural relations and 'going virtual' at the time of a pandemic.

Scottish Parliament Citizens’ Panel on COVID-19 (2021)
Report
Citizens’ Panel Steering Group, . (2021). Scottish Parliament Citizens’ Panel on COVID-19. https://archive2021.parliament.scot/20210218CVDCitizensPanelReportFinal.pdf: Scottish Parliament

This Citizens’ Panel was commissioned by the Scottish Parliament’s COVID-19 Committee. Its findings will support the COVID-19 Committee’s work to scrutinise the Scottish Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic at a time when the health protect... Read More about Scottish Parliament Citizens’ Panel on COVID-19.

Four shades of science festival: a qualitative study exploring the business and management dimensions of science festivals in the United Kingdom (2020)
Thesis
Kerr, G. Four shades of science festival: a qualitative study exploring the business and management dimensions of science festivals in the United Kingdom. (Thesis). University of Salford. Retrieved from http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2725841

Science festivals are a global cultural phenomenon with at least 60 such festivals taking place across the UK every year. Science festivals fulfil a unique function within civil society: providing a platform for science communication, education, and... Read More about Four shades of science festival: a qualitative study exploring the business and management dimensions of science festivals in the United Kingdom.

TikTok as a tool for providing pastoral and academic support to student (2020)
Presentation / Conference
Kerr, G. (2020, December). TikTok as a tool for providing pastoral and academic support to student. Presented at Social Media for Learning in Higher Education Annual Conference, University of Strathclyde [Online]

This presentation explores TikTok as a platform for personal tutors in the higher education setting to provide pastoral and academic support to students. Young people are increasing using TikTok as a social media tool, but there is more to this app t... Read More about TikTok as a tool for providing pastoral and academic support to student.

Dog filters & flower crowns: Using Snapchat as a Pedagogical Tool in Higher Education (2020)
Journal Article
Kerr, G., & Faulkner, S. (2020). Dog filters & flower crowns: Using Snapchat as a Pedagogical Tool in Higher Education. Journal of Social Media for Learning, 1(1), 147-157. https://doi.org/10.24377/LJMU.jsml.vol1article393

Academics overwhelmingly value social media as a tool for enhancing student learning (Moran et al, 2011). Generally, academics use information technologies and social media to engage with students in a top-down fashion i.e. it is the norm to use what... Read More about Dog filters & flower crowns: Using Snapchat as a Pedagogical Tool in Higher Education.

Policy During a Pandemic: How to Make Research Accessible for Policymakers During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)
Other
Kerr, G., & Heath, E. (2020). Policy During a Pandemic: How to Make Research Accessible for Policymakers During the COVID-19 Pandemic. https://blog.ucsusa.org/science-blogger/how-to-make-research-accessible-for-policymakers-during-covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of effective science communication – in particular, the vital importance of making research accessible for policymakers. Here, we present our top tips for researchers on how to write for policymake... Read More about Policy During a Pandemic: How to Make Research Accessible for Policymakers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

GCHQ Cyber Zone at Cheltenham Science Festival (Curator) (2019)
Exhibition / Performance
Kerr, G. GCHQ Cyber Zone at Cheltenham Science Festival (Curator). [https://issuu.com/cheltenhamfestivals/docs/science_festival_2019_brochure]. 4 June 2019 - 9 June 2019. (Unpublished)

Step into a fascinating digital world…come into the GCHQ Cyber Zone and see what it’s like to be a code cracker, ethical hacker and cyber security expert. Escape to cyber space using our VR headsets and try your hand at coding, solving puzzles and g... Read More about GCHQ Cyber Zone at Cheltenham Science Festival (Curator).

Digital Skills Development : Effective digital profiles for researchers (2018)
Book
Kerr, G., Worsley, H., & Whitnall, D. (2018). Digital Skills Development : Effective digital profiles for researchers

We are living in a digital era where the majority of people spend a vast amount of time on social media. So as academics it is important that we access this digital world and use it to our advantage. Social media is a key aspect of science communicat... Read More about Digital Skills Development : Effective digital profiles for researchers.

Science communication & sensitive issues: putting risk in context (2017)
Presentation / Conference
Kerr, G. (2017, November). Science communication & sensitive issues: putting risk in context. Presented at NATO BRITE Advanced Research Workshop, Yerevan, Armenia

One of the global challenges the world faces is the possibility of a chemical or nuclear attack by terrorists or a rogue state, or of an accidental nuclear disaster. With a breakdown in diplomacy between the USA and North Korea and tensions between b... Read More about Science communication & sensitive issues: putting risk in context.