British Interactive Group (BIG) Event 2024, Cardiff
By Annie Wilson
On 24th July I headed to my first ever BIG, not knowing what to expect. After being awarded the bursary to attend, I knew I’d be spending three days in Cardiff, that there would be something called ‘the best demo competition’, which is a real highlight of the conference, that we’d be meeting lots of other fellow science communicators and that there would be a dinner at the science centre ‘Techniquest’, at the end of the conference.
However, nothing could prepare me for the wonderful world of BIG and the lovely, welcoming community that awaited me. After a quick commute from Bristol, where our mobile planetarium company ‘Explorer Dome’ is based, I headed to the conference hosted at Cardiff University. Upon arrival we received welcome packs, brochures, and the infamous long-lasting stickers with our names on. We were warned in the Welcome talk that if we lost these name tags, there would be sudden death awaiting us… in the form of the sticker of shame.
For anyone attending a conference for the first time, this would be enough to send shivers of intimidation down your spine. However, this is just one of BIG’s in-jokes. You see, when you get to BIG one of the things you quickly become aware of is the wicked sense of humour baked into the culture of BIG, which has blossomed and evolved over decades of holding the conference. When you sign onto BIG, prepare to sign on to silliness, laughter and community. Something you should also know is that this is not a low commitment conference. A conference in which you attend, network, have a few sandwiches and then never return again. The successful culture of BIG is cultivated because people return back every year. And I can see why. Not only are you signing onto brilliant talks and workshops, led by experienced science communicators, but you’re subscribing to a community of people who are generous with their wisdom, their resources and their time. Networking should have another name when it’s this fun.
This is a conference that encourages you to get involved, to take part and to get out as much as you put in. The brochure was packed full of activities that got us all up and doing something. From making your own battery powered motors with Norway’s ‘Science Circus’ to exploring how we can make our own practises more inclusive by enhancing the sensory aspect of activities. The workshops were packed with information from those leading them, but also those taking part in them as well. Encouraging skill sharing across participants.
However, the workshops are not the only place where the sharing happens. Every corner you turn at the conference there were people sharing stories and anecdotes, lending each other props and equipment that they’d handmade, or just sharing a random thought in their session entitled ‘I Saw This And Thought Of You’…. ISTATOY!
Sharing is really cooked into the ethos of BIG, because science communication is a wonderful field to be part of, however it can be massively lonely as well. Sole traders within the field may visit hundreds of schools, science centres and festivals – but rarely are gifted the opportunity to collaborate with their peers. And that’s why I think a conference like BIG is so important. It puts a bunch of professional sharers together, whose job it is to share their ideas with the world and it gets them to share with each other. I’d encourage any science communicator to get involved with BIG. If you’re like me then you’ll arrive with little expectations but walk away with BIG ideas.
