Welcome
Prof Maggie Dallman, OBE

9.45-10.00

Maggie is Vice President (International), Associate Provost (Academic Partnerships) and Professor of Immunology. She leads on Imperial's Societal Engagement strategy.

Keynote
Fozia Irfan, OBE, FRSA

10.00 - 11.00

Fozia is the Director for Children and Young People at BBC Children in Need. She is responsible for ensuring that all donations to Children in Need are distributed effectively and equitably with the greatest impact for children and young people in the UK. She has a background leading community foundations and created the DEI Coalition - a network of philanthropic funders committed to diversity and inclusion. She is also working with the Health Foundation on the impacts of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable in our society.

Lightning talks

11.30-12.30

Hear how Imperial colleagues have engaged with the public in innovative ways throughout the pandemic. Speakers from across the College will have 5 minutes to share their creative approaches to engagement.

Illustrated lettering | 12.30-13.10
Try out some calligraphy and illustrate words with artist Abby Hobbs – all you need is a pen and paper.

Quick-fire poetry | 13.00-13.30
Join poet Dan Simpson to take part in fun and energetic exercises – you might be surprised with what you create.

Illustrated lettering | 12.30-13.10
Try out some calligraphy and illustrate words with artist Abby Hobbs – all you need is a pen and paper. 

Quick-fire poetry | 13.00-13.30
Join poet Dan Simpson to take part in fun and energetic exercises – you might be surprised with what you create.

In conversation: Resilience and crises in culture and engagement  
Rachel Mackay

13.30-14.30

With 20 years' experience in the cultural sector and a passion for enabling attractions to provide great visitor experiences, Rachel has a wealth of knowledge to share from her learnings over the past year. Not only is she the Manager of the Historic Royal Palaces, Kew, she is also the Founder of The Recovery Room - a platform that's helping heritage charities rebuild and recover after the COVID-19 shutdowns. Rachel has also recently completed a research project analysing how museums and heritage organisations have responded to the pandemic from a crisis management perspective.

Workshops
Take your pick of our interactive workshops exploring some of the skills, ideas and understandings we have developed in the last year.

15.00-16.30

ADAPT: Rethinking how we plan engagement activities in times of change and uncertainty
Scott McKenzie-Cook - Events Manager, Science Museum
How have we adapted our events and programmes in order to deliver something meaningful during the pandemic? Join Scott to discuss how his team has responded when the museum had to close its doors. This workshop aims to broaden your horizons about what is possible during the restrictions and offers guidance on coping with ever-changing circumstances.

[FULLY BOOKED] COMMUNICATE: Interacting, presenting and collaborating online
Will Houstoun (Magician in Residence) and James Romero (Public Engagement Manager) - Imperial
How do we communicate with our public audiences and participants through digital platforms when often we can’t see them? At times it can feel like we’re ‘talking into the void’. What additional skills do we need when we’re presenting online, and how can we build rapport, storytelling and participation into our virtual activities? Join magician Will Houston and James from the Public Engagement team to share communication tips for online engagement.  

CELEBRATE: Sharing our successes in public engagement and beyond*
Ashley Kent - Science Communicator and #IAmRemarkable Workshop Facilitator
Many of us struggle when it comes to talking about our own accomplishments. Cultural and gender modesty norms as well as impostor syndrome can prevent anyone from acknowledging their remarkable attributes and expressing their achievements. For many, this has only heightened during the pandemic and working from home. Join #IAmRemarkable workshop facilitator Ashley to learn the importance of self-promotion in your personal and professional life and be equipped with tools to develop this skill.  #IAmRemarkable was established as a Google initiative empowering women and underrepresented groups to speak openly about their accomplishments. This workshop is open to all.

*This workshop is repeated on Thursday.