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The Big Bang Fair

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The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair was founded 2009.[1][2] The Big Bang Fair is the United Kingdom’s largest celebration of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) for young people, and is one of the largest youth events in the UK.[3] The Fair takes place annually in June.[4]

The Big Bang programme exists to bring science and engineering to life for young people.[5] The Big Bang mission is to showcase surprising possibilities and connect young people to inspiring role models in STEM.[6][7]

It is led by EngineeringUK in partnership with over 200 organisations across government, industry, education and the wider science and engineering community.[8]

Since 2014, The Big Bang Fair has been hosted in the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.[9] The Big Bang Fair consists of hands-on activities, workshops and live shows, designed to inform and inspire young people aged 11 to 14 to learn more about careers in science, engineering and technology.[10]

In 2024, The Big Bang Fair will take place on 19 to 21 June.[11][12]

Criticism

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The Big Bang Fair has been criticised by NGOs such as the Campaign Against the Arms Trade[13] and Friends of the Earth due to the heavy involvement of arms manufacturers and fossil fuel companies at the event. The event has been described as being a PR stunt rather than being a genuine attempt to educate children and get them involved in STEM in future. Furthermore it has also been criticised for presenting a "distorted view of the value of science" in reference to the involvement of arms manufacturers and oil companies.[14][15][16]

References

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  1. ^ "About us". The Big Bang Fair. Archived from the original on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2021. Launched in 2009, The Big Bang: UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair...2010 took place in Manchester over three days in March
  2. ^ "About". The Big Bang. Archived from the original on 22 July 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  3. ^ "The Big Bang - The Big Bang". www.thebigbang.org.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  4. ^ "The Big Bang Fair - The Big Bang". www.thebigbang.org.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  5. ^ "The Big Bang | EngineeringUK". www.engineeringuk.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  6. ^ "The Big Bang | EngineeringUK". www.engineeringuk.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  7. ^ Leevers, Hilary (6 March 2024). "Guest blog: We must support careers education to secure the future workforce". The Engineer. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  8. ^ "The Big Bang | EngineeringUK". www.engineeringuk.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  9. ^ "The Big Bang Fair 2024 - 19 to 21 June - The Big Bang". www.thebigbang.org.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  10. ^ EngineeringUK (31 January 2024). "Inspire a love of STEM at The Big Bang Fair 2024". FE News. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  11. ^ "The Big Bang Fair 2024 - 19 to 21 June - The Big Bang". www.thebigbang.org.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Big Bang Fair returns to Birmingham NEC in June". The Engineer. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  13. ^ "CAAT - Campaigns - Arms Trade Out! - Science - Big Bang Fair". Campaign Against Arms Trade. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  14. ^ Bell, Alice (18 March 2013). "The Big Bang Fair: a depressing vision of science and engineering". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  15. ^ Bell, Alice (26 March 2014). "The Big Bang Fair puts PR above education". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  16. ^ Brown, Tim (13 March 2014). "Big Bang Fair kicks off today with thousands of students expected". The Manufacturer. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
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