The NCCPE annual conference is sneaking up on us! In Bristol on the 3 and 4 December 2014 we will be bringing together people who are interested in public engagement to be inspired, challenged and refreshed.
Our conference theme this year is Captivating places; Captivating ideas; Captivating people: Unlocking the potential of curiosity-driven engagement, and in the coming weeks we’ll be blogging, tweeting and discussing what these themes mean to you, so do share your thoughts!
You can see a provisional programme of what to expect at Engage 2014 here, and to register for Engage, please click the following link.
We are delighted to announce that plenary speakers include Madeleine Atkins, Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England – who will be sharing her insights on how universities need to engage with the public; Dominic Gray, Projects Director at Opera North, and Michael John Gorman, Director of the Science Gallery in Dublin – two organisations doing quite extraordinary work to engage with the public; and Eleonora Belfiore, Associate Professor of Cultural Policy at the University of Warwick, a leading thinker about the dynamics of engagement and how to value it.
Has the REF helped to embed support for public engagement? As universities await the conclusions of the REF 2014 assessment exercise, the NCCPE having been considering the impact of the REF on public engagement, and whether this has been positive or negative. Join in the discussion by sharing your comments on our blog. We will be picking up this discussion in more depth at Engage 2014 where we are hosting a seminar all about the REF, so look out for that when planning your visit.
Posted on behalf of becci.feltham@uwe.ac.uk