IN THE STEPS OF APOLLO: from the first Moon landing, to the Universe beyond...
Lead Research Organisation:
New Music in the South West
Department Name: Bristol Office
Abstract
This outreach project will provide people with a unique opportunity to experience the beauty of the cosmos and to learn about fundamental physics, astronomy and mission science. It presents an opportunity to reach 1000's of people new to STFC science/STEM subjects and will give them a profound, immersive and utterly memorable experience; one with the potential to inspire life-long passions for astronomy and science.
It stems from a collaboration between NMSW and 'We The Curious' (WTC), Bristol. The result, 'In the Steps of Apollo', is a multi-dimensional production featuring stunning visuals, great new music and short lectures linking fundamental concepts with the most recent developments in planetary research, astrophysics and mission science.
Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landings, it celebrates this landmark achievement, not just as history, but also as a starting point, a spring-board to future space exploration. Full details in the 'Summary' section.
The project aims to engage and inspire a large, diverse audience, not only with the sheer beauty and magnitude of the universe, but also with the story of our own exploration and understanding of it. We hope to illuminate how, from our tiny corner of the Milky Way our knowledge and reach has extended beyond what in earlier eras would have been inconceivable distances of space and time, and how far we still have to go on this incredible voyage of discovery.
There are two main strands of the outreach project, one aimed at primary and secondary school pupils and one aimed at the general audience.
Schools
We will run a mobile dome schools tour aim reaching pupils of all ages and backgrounds, who wouldn't otherwise access this type of event. We have selected 20 schools which we believe will particularly benefit from the project, with a focus on those in, or serving, areas of general and educational deprivation. These have been identified with reference to the government report 'The English Indices of Deprivation 2015' (DCLG 2015). For further details see 'Summary' section.
We believe the project will raise pupils' interest in and understanding of science. By promoting STFC's age-appropriate educational resources (such as the 'Hands on Universe' booklet for KS2 pupils) and with the support of participating teachers, we hope to harness the enthusiasm that this will generate and foster an ongoing engagement with science.
We hope to contribute to creating a more scientifically literate generation of pupils, to inspire in some a profound interest in STEM subjects (leading ultimately to careers in science) and to help develop greater diversity in science.
The General Audience
By distributing the production free-of-charge to planetaria across the UK we will achieve the widest possible audience. As with the Schools Project, we aim to raise the general level of interest in and understanding of science. However, we recognise that some of those accessing the production via planetaria are likely, by their nature, to have an existing interest in astronomy and related areas. So, to ensure that we reach beyond this demographic, we will also run a mobile dome tour of the production around the region's community centres.
The community centres are in rural or semi-rural communities or are those serving the same communities as the participating schools. This means that, while the schools project will help to raise the science capital of children and young people, the community centre programme will do the same for their families and communities.
We also aim to provide valuable engagement experience to the participating scientists (see 'Key Personnel' section). Not only will they be involved in planning and writing the lectures/talks for the outreach project, they will also record the talks themselves and, in some instances (subject to diary commitments), be involved in presenting them live.
It stems from a collaboration between NMSW and 'We The Curious' (WTC), Bristol. The result, 'In the Steps of Apollo', is a multi-dimensional production featuring stunning visuals, great new music and short lectures linking fundamental concepts with the most recent developments in planetary research, astrophysics and mission science.
Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landings, it celebrates this landmark achievement, not just as history, but also as a starting point, a spring-board to future space exploration. Full details in the 'Summary' section.
The project aims to engage and inspire a large, diverse audience, not only with the sheer beauty and magnitude of the universe, but also with the story of our own exploration and understanding of it. We hope to illuminate how, from our tiny corner of the Milky Way our knowledge and reach has extended beyond what in earlier eras would have been inconceivable distances of space and time, and how far we still have to go on this incredible voyage of discovery.
There are two main strands of the outreach project, one aimed at primary and secondary school pupils and one aimed at the general audience.
Schools
We will run a mobile dome schools tour aim reaching pupils of all ages and backgrounds, who wouldn't otherwise access this type of event. We have selected 20 schools which we believe will particularly benefit from the project, with a focus on those in, or serving, areas of general and educational deprivation. These have been identified with reference to the government report 'The English Indices of Deprivation 2015' (DCLG 2015). For further details see 'Summary' section.
We believe the project will raise pupils' interest in and understanding of science. By promoting STFC's age-appropriate educational resources (such as the 'Hands on Universe' booklet for KS2 pupils) and with the support of participating teachers, we hope to harness the enthusiasm that this will generate and foster an ongoing engagement with science.
We hope to contribute to creating a more scientifically literate generation of pupils, to inspire in some a profound interest in STEM subjects (leading ultimately to careers in science) and to help develop greater diversity in science.
The General Audience
By distributing the production free-of-charge to planetaria across the UK we will achieve the widest possible audience. As with the Schools Project, we aim to raise the general level of interest in and understanding of science. However, we recognise that some of those accessing the production via planetaria are likely, by their nature, to have an existing interest in astronomy and related areas. So, to ensure that we reach beyond this demographic, we will also run a mobile dome tour of the production around the region's community centres.
The community centres are in rural or semi-rural communities or are those serving the same communities as the participating schools. This means that, while the schools project will help to raise the science capital of children and young people, the community centre programme will do the same for their families and communities.
We also aim to provide valuable engagement experience to the participating scientists (see 'Key Personnel' section). Not only will they be involved in planning and writing the lectures/talks for the outreach project, they will also record the talks themselves and, in some instances (subject to diary commitments), be involved in presenting them live.
Planned Impact
'In the Steps of Apollo' will, in the first instance, be given a minimum of 12 showings at the 'We The Curious' planetarium, one of the finest planetaria in Europe.
If this application is successful, we will then be able to distribute the production free of charge to planetaria across the UK. WTC's Lee Pullen is committed to the promotion and widespread dissemination of the project and, as President of the British Association of Planetaria, he is perfectly placed to do this to best effect. The contributing scientists will also help to promote awareness of the project through their own networks and academic institutions. Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director of the RAS, will be particularly valuable in this respect.
We also believe the unique composition of the production (a compound of stunning visuals, great new music and real science) will be a crucial factor in reaching and engaging a large, general (i.e. non-science background) audience.
We are in the process of developing relationships with The UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres, Moon Festival and other institutions in relation to events marking the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings. We expect this to yield significant promotional value.
The Schools Tour provides in-built access to over 2000 pupils and the opportunity to foster ongoing engagement with science while the Community Centre project will reach 1000.
Beyond the confines of this project, NMSW is committed to collaborative working and to supporting projects and organisations whose objectives and interests we share. We believe this project will generate very detailed and valuable engagement data and this will be made available to those organisations and institutions whom it may benefit. We are also willing to provide advice (informally) based on experience and quantifiable data.
If this application is successful, we will then be able to distribute the production free of charge to planetaria across the UK. WTC's Lee Pullen is committed to the promotion and widespread dissemination of the project and, as President of the British Association of Planetaria, he is perfectly placed to do this to best effect. The contributing scientists will also help to promote awareness of the project through their own networks and academic institutions. Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director of the RAS, will be particularly valuable in this respect.
We also believe the unique composition of the production (a compound of stunning visuals, great new music and real science) will be a crucial factor in reaching and engaging a large, general (i.e. non-science background) audience.
We are in the process of developing relationships with The UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres, Moon Festival and other institutions in relation to events marking the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings. We expect this to yield significant promotional value.
The Schools Tour provides in-built access to over 2000 pupils and the opportunity to foster ongoing engagement with science while the Community Centre project will reach 1000.
Beyond the confines of this project, NMSW is committed to collaborative working and to supporting projects and organisations whose objectives and interests we share. We believe this project will generate very detailed and valuable engagement data and this will be made available to those organisations and institutions whom it may benefit. We are also willing to provide advice (informally) based on experience and quantifiable data.
| Description | By visiting schools in areas of educational and general deprivation, (identified with reference to the government report 'The English Indices of Deprivation 2015' (DCLG 2015), we were able to take age appropriate concepts in space science, astronomy and physics to c.2000 pupils, the majority of whom would be considered "disadvantaged". By doing so, we believe we have contributed to creating a cohort of pupils more likely to engage with science and more likely to consider a career in STEM subjects as a possibility. Feedback and follow up discussions with teachers overwhelmingly suggest that combining science with stunning visuals and high quality music greatly enhances pupil engagement with the subject matter. |
| Exploitation Route | In The Steps of Apollo demonstrates a viable and effective way of introducing science to disadvantaged pupils who might not otherwise be drawn to it. By creating a relaxed and welcoming environment and presenting scientific content in a high quality, multimedia production, pupils can be excited by the subject and thoroughly engaged in it. Information and ideas will be absorbed without pupils even realising they are learning. For some it can be the spark that ignites an ongoing interest and desire for further exploration. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy,Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Other |
| URL | http://bit.ly/3KHSnMq |
| Description | As this award supported a science outreach tour and not a research project, the outcome was the tour itself rather than any project findings. Evidence supporting the impact of the tour can be viewed via the "Key Findings" section. However, significant time has been allocated to following up the project and to studying all related feedback. The resulting findings have been used in developing a new project which will adopt a similar approach by presenting scientific content in a high quality multimedia planetarium production. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | NMSW/Explorer Dome |
| Organisation | Explorer Dome |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We created the content for a science & music planetarium show entitled "In The Steps of Apollo". This is a modular, 45 minute production featuring stunning visual journeys across the solar system, the galaxy and the universe beyond. These are accompanied by 5 specially commissioned string quartets, written by some of the UK's leading composers, and interleaved with short talks on fundamental aspects of science relating to the visual content of the production. Following showings at planetaria across the globe we arranged a schools' tour of the show focusing on the in areas of deprivation, as identified by the government report "The English Indices of Deprivation 2015" (DLCG 2015). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Explorer Dome were responsible for presenting the show using their mobile planetarium dome. |
| Impact | 56 showings of the "In The Steps of Apollo" production at schools across the south-west of England. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | A schools' mobile planetarium dome tour of the science & music show "In The Steps of Apollo". |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | c. 1500 pupils at 14 schools across the south-west of England saw the science & music planetarium show "In The Steps of Apollo". The intention of the tour was to introduce disadvantaged children to both science and music through a show which combined the astonishing beauty of the universe with inspiring new music and age-appropriate talks on science which lay behind the images they were viewing. Although Covid 19 created restrictions meant we were unable to spend the time we would have liked in follow up discussions, Q&As etc. teachers of all year groups (which ranged from Yr.3 up to Yr.11) reported an extremely high level interest in science following the shows. This is backed up by extraordinarily positive monitoring data. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019,2020,2021 |