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NSCF Conference 2018

This year the NSCF’s Annual Conference will be held 9–11 October in Tallinn, Estonia, hosted by the Energy Discovery Centre. Make sure to register before 1st September for the early bird discount!

The Conference is a great place to meet both small and large science centres in Scandinavia and the Baltics. This year we will be focusing on the development, funding of and cooperation between science centres. We’re hoping to create an inspiring atmosphere to generate new ideas, discussions, and find exiting ways of working together. It’s also a great opportunity to get to know our colleagues and network.

“Energy Discovery Centre is an example of a small science centre focusing on its own clearly defined topics. But there are a number of other exciting centres and museums in Tallinn to experience as well, and we’re happy to visit some of them with you during the Conference. We’re looking forward to seeing you all in Tallinn this fall!” said Krista Keedus, director of Energy Discovery Centre.

Early-bird (until 31st August)

  • members 200 € / person
  • non-members 240 € / person

Regular fee (1st September till 7th October)

  • members 240 € / person
  • non-members 270 € / person

Also, here’s some practical information about getting around in Tallinn and a few deals for accommodation.


PROGRAMME

Tuesday, 9th October

16.30–18.00 Board meeting

If individual members would like to raise a subject for the meeting, please feel free to contact any of the board members!

18.00–19.00 Registration at Energy Discovery Centre

19.00 The Conference Opening and Welcome Dinner at Energy Discovery Centre

Energy Discovery Centre is housed in a 100-year-old power station, and the dinner will be held in the main hall – formerly the station’s generator hall, now renovated into a 1930s style spacious exhibition hall. Original turbines and generators are on display in addition to the exhibits of the history of electricity. Lightning demonstrations are performed there as well, which is why we also call it the Lightning Hall.

 

Wednesday, 10th October

9.00–9.20 Welcome by the Host and Chairman of NSCF

9.00–10.00 Sessions and workshops: Development

9.20–9.40 Session: Presentation on coding – Why should we code?

Facilitator: Gudrun Bachmann, Visindasmidjan
Speakers: Linda Ökvist-Johansson and David Broström, Teknikens Hus; Daniel Rosqvist, Tekniska Museet; Geir Endregard, Inspiria

Coding includes problem solving, creativity and many other skills that are considered  relevant for the competences of the future. Coding is now part of the curriculum in Nordic and Baltic countries, and there is immense need for teachers´ training programs and inspiring coding activities for children. Science centres are contributing to this movement in many interesting ways, applying their hands-on methods and approaches to the topic.

9.40–10.00 Session: Presentation on sustainability (UN sustainable development goals)

Facilitator: Christine Sundberg Carendi, Swedish Science Centers
Speaker: Anna Gunnarsson, Navet

Sustainable development has been an integrated part of Navet Science Center for many years. Anna Gunnarsson will give examples of how Navet is working with The UN Goals for Sustainable Development within school programs, teacher training, digital communication, staff development and towards the general public.

10.00–10.15 Coffee break

10.15–12.00 Parallel workshops

Workshop 1: Trends – what are the main trends for exhibition themes for the next 3-5 years?

Speaker: Poul Kattler, Experimentarium

In the crystal ball we will look around to commercial touring exhibitions, science centre touring exhibitions and to the renewals of permanent exhibitions initiated within the institutions. Is the interactive field thriving? What is the role of new technology with the exhibitions? Will future exhibitions be able to address challenges our societies are up to? Examples is used to illustrate the trends.

Workshop 2: Coding for future competences

Facilitator: Gudrun Bachmann, Visindasmidjan
Speakers: Linda Ökvist-Johansson, Teknikens Hus. Daniel Rosqvist, Tekniska Museet. Geir Endregard, Inspiria

In this workshop participants will try different coding activities, such as Analoge programming, Bluebots and Scratch. Ideas on collaborative Nordic outreach coding-programs will be introduced and science centres in Norway will present how they are contributing to the national ”technological backpack”.

Workshop 3: Sustainability – how can we work with this in our science centres?

Speaker: Christine Sundberg Carendi, Swedish Science Centers

Christine Sundberg Carendi, presents an ongoing collaboration between 19 Swedish science centers working with the UN Sustainable development goals concerning school programs, teacher training, digital communication, popular adult education and training within science centers. With this as a backdrop, we will map up initiatives from other countries and discuss possibilities for further development together.

12.00–13.00 Lunch

13.00–16.00 Sessions and workshops: Cooperation

13.00–13.20 Session: Presentation on value creation by cooperating

Facilitator: Gudrun Bachmann, Visindasmidjan
Speaker: Krista Keedus, Energy Discovery Centre.

Krista started her present job as director only last year. She brought with her experiences from another and different field, as well as some new and different partners. Krista will share her thoughts and ideas on different ways to co-operate and how new partners may – or may not – create more values.

13.20–13.40 Session: Presentation on cooperation on education and recruitment

Facilitator: Tove Marienborg, Nordnorsk vitensenter Speaker: Geir Endregard, Inspiria

INNOVATUM in Sweden and INSPIRIA in Norway has recently finished a 3-year Interreg project focusing on increasing interest for science in youth in the common border area. The session will present the main findings and lessons from this project with particular emphasis on the value of cooperation of two science centres

13.40–14.00 Session: Presentation on cooperation on exhibitions

Facilitator: Hanne Haack Larsen, Experimentarium
Speaker: Kim Gladstone Herlev, Experimentarium

The focus for this session is cooperation on exhibitions in the context of funding. Nordic science centres and museums depend on external funding for large and costly projects such as developing or renting new exhibitions. A model that some of us have experience with is creating consortiums across borders, developing an exhibition together and sharing the costs. An example of a cooperation is the Wintersport exhibition done by Heureka, VilVite, Tekniska Museet and Experimentarium.

14.00–14.20 Extra AGM: Decision for new budget

14.20–14.40 Coffee break

14.40–16.00 Parallel workshops

Workshop 1: Value creation – Can we find new ways to cooperate?

Facilitator: Gudrun Bachmann, Visindasmidjan
Speakers: Pauls Irbins, ZINOO science centres

Participants are invited to contribute their ideas on how our science centres can cross-sell each other for families that are traveling between our countries. How can each centre promote a whole network? By posters? Discounts? An interactive map? Common webpage? We hope to see many interesting ideas and results from this workshop.

Workshop 2: Education – Science Centres wanting to cooperate on education meet and discuss possibilities

Speaker: Geir Endregard, Inspiria

The focus on this workshop is to bring together Science Centres who have ideas for projects they want to discuss and cooperate with other Science Centres in the NSCF-family. If you have an idea, please let us know in advanced, and we will try to put together people with similar ideas. Of current interest are maybe Coding and Sustainability?

Workshop 3: Exhibitions – Science Centres wanting to cooperate on exhibitions meet and discuss possibilities

Speaker: Kim Gladstone Herlev, Experimentarium

This workshop will simulate a cooperation process from the very beginning as if it was real. Together we will decide on a topic for the exhibition. We will discuss budget, timeline, quality and roles in the development process, and we will try to create a business model for the exhibition we develop together. Finally, we will share ideas from “the real world” on new exhibitions in order to ignite new co-operations across the Nordic countries.

16.00–18.00 Visits to the Estonian Health Care Museum and Estonian Museum of Natural History

These museums are only a short walk away from the Centre and are excellent examples of “boutique-museums”, in a sense that they might be small in size, but are powerful in content. We’ll have time to visit both in the lovely Tallinn Old Town.

19.00 Dinner in the Tallinn TV Tower

The Tallinn TV Tower is an iconic building over here, but we’ll let them explain exactly why. What we will say is that we’re dining at about 300 metres off the ground and hopefully will have some great views of Tallinn, weather permitting.

 

Thursday, 11th October

9.00–12.00 Sessions and workshops: Funding

9.00–9.20 Session: Presentation of Nordic funding possibilities

Facilitator: Pilvi Kolk, Ahaha
Speaker: Anne Hütt, Archmedes Foundation

Come and hear about different grants that science centers could use to get funding for their projects, with an emphasis on the Nordplus Programme.

9.20–9.40 Session: Presentation on funding from government and regions

Facilitators: Tove Marienborg, Nordnorsk vitensenter and Christine Sundberg Carendi, Swedish Science Centers
Speakers: Tove Marienborg, Nordnorsk vitensenter and Christine Sundberg Carendi, Swedish Science Centers

Tove and Christine will explain the different structures for general funding in Norway and Sweden on a national, regional and local level, with comments on the historic background and present time.

9.40–10.00 Session: Presentation on alternative means of funding

Facilitator: Christine Sundberg Carendi, Swedish Science Centers
Speaker: Daniel Rosqvist, National Museum of Science and Technology

Daniel presents how the museum and science center has decreased the dependency of governmental funding and increased other revenues by thinking differently. He will show examples from ongoing projects and collaborations.

10.00–10.15 Coffee break

10.15–12.00 Workshop: News from the members

Speaker: Pilvi Kolk; Ahhaa

All members are invited to share, what is up in your science centre or museum. You may use Powerpoint or be entertaining just by yourself.

12.00–13.00 Farewell lunch at the Seaplane Harbour

The Seaplane Harbour is most definitely the most popular museum in Estonia, and with good reason. The architecture is amazing, the exposition exciting, and the location is just… well, cool. Also, they’re almost the Centre’s neighbours. If you have time after lunch, please feel free to stay for the tour of the museum as well.

 

If you have questions about the Conference, the Host, or indeed, Tallinn, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with:

Mrs Krista Keedus
Director of Energy Discovery Centre
krista@energiakeskus.ee
+372 507 9077