Spark: Spark Science Festival - £4945
Spark is 40 years old, this year and provides support and activity to combat social isolation and loneliness, ensuring our community is a diverse and inclusive place.
Spark brings people together to meet, make new friends and share and learn new skills and experience, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or other personal circumstance. Our vision is that everyone in the community feels valued and has the chance to spark their potential. We celebrate our differences by creating opportunities to bring different aspects of our community together to share experiences.
Spark Science Festival STEM initiative aims to encourage broader participation of women and minorities in the STEM workforce. This will allow us to bridge ethnic and gender gaps. The festival will celebrate and raise awareness of science and technology in a hands-on, fun and interactive way. It will embrace the concepts of experimentation, innovation, creativity, curiosity and invention whilst encouraging involvement of individuals from under represented demographics. Working with other organisations and across communities, we will deliver a diverse programme of activities. We want audiences of all ages to not just talk about but to get up-close with science and technology of all sorts through a special programme of exciting real-life experiments and special events. Activities will focus on three age groups: pre-teens, 13-17-year olds and adults, and will be delivered in partnership with a variety of local organisations. The festival will provide a range of age appropriate workshops and activities to spark interest in STEM. Currently females make up 28% of the science, engineering, technology and maths workforce, highlighting that males outnumber females in the STEM industry, with many females still facing documented discrimination in this area.
