We have continued to build a strong reliable brand that is recognised in Scotland by both the public and our researchers. From the outset, the consortium was faced with a significant challenge: running an accessible, interactive and sizeable programme in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions on the gathering of people. However, the partners rose to the challenge, delivering more than 60 events over a number of digital platforms.
All audience groups rated their experiences highly:
91% of attendees over the age of 16 rated the overall experience as good or very good
87% of participants aged under 16 reported that they had learned something new
Positive experiences at public events attributed to: activities being engaging, fun/enjoyable, and interesting
Our project
Reached new audiences:
In Scotland, postcode analysis of attendees suggests a wider attendee reach with audiences extending into Moray, the Highlands, Orkney and Shetland
Most audience members aged 16 or over had not been to an EXPLORATHON event before 2020
A more global reach, with 28% of attendees being from an international location
Increased awareness and understanding about research and its societal relevance:
93% of attendees ‘learnt something new about the topics/subjects covered’
75% ‘felt encouraged to ask questions or express opinions about research’
70% ‘improved their understanding of the relevance of research to everyday life’
64% ‘discovered something about the places where research happens’
Increased awareness and understanding about research funding:
33% ‘found out more about how research is funded’.
Improved attitudes towards research and researchers and motivated to find out more about research:
Respondents expressed generally more positive views of research or researchers; and better understanding more about real-life or everyday applications of research or the work of researchers
86% intended to ‘look for more information about the topics covered’
85% intended to ‘tell family and friends about the activity/event’ they attended
Events confirmed or strengthened positive attitudes for attendees who were already familiar with research.
EXPLORATHON 2020 was a successful public engagement activity. Events attracted an audience in excess of 60,000 from all age groups, with 51% being age 30 or younger. All events were delivered digitally to ensure the safety of participants as a result of the COVID- 19 pandemic. Partnerships with appropriate external organisations continued to benefit the project by allowing researchers to connect with different audiences. Whilst EXPLORATHON 2020 did attract attendees from across the socio-economic spectrum, more attendees were from A more affluent socio-economic groups than in previous years. This highlights that the partners will need to consider how to engage with harder to reach groups when delivering a digital programme more carefully for 2021.
Researchers embraced the opportunity to engage via digital platforms and more than 90% positively rated the platform used for their event and the event format. Based on feedback from both researchers and audiences, which highlighted a need to further optimise online engagement both in terms of attendee numbers and engagement, further training will be developed for 2021 to increase capacity and skills to engage via digital methods.
