Brighton Science Festival

Brighton Science Festival has now been running for over 10 years with the target audience being 12-14 year old students to provide them with a thirst for science coming into secondary school. As part of the University of Southampton, ICER (International Centre for Ecohydraulics Research), contributed outreach activities to the Bright Sparks event. Props brought to the event included an eel tile with running water to demonstrate barriers to fish migration and subsequent potential mitigation techniques to assist endangered species such as the European eel. This activity also allowed for the discussion of alternative techniques such as acoustic deterrent systems to the older generation (parents). General audience participation at science festivals tends to cover a range of demographics, ages, and gender, including individuals from varying industrial sectors, government, conservation trusts, and others. The research group also included activities discussing the reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver to the U.K. and subsequent impacts being investigated at the institution. The eel tile in particular drew in an audience due to its visual appeal and sparked conversation and interest from a wide range of individuals. The event organisers reported good feedback with an estimated engagement of reach around 2000 individuals.