About The Big Bang
The Big Bang is a free, annual event Spearheaded by Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chair of EngineeringUK and Sir Tom McKillop, President of the Science Council.
Led by EngineeringUK, The Big Bang is developed in partnership with over 70 organisations from business & industry, government and the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) community - with support from across the political spectrum.
Featuring the National Science and Engineering Competition, The Fair aims to celebrate the achievement and excellence of young people through the competition, while educating and inspiring young people not yet engaged about STEM in their future careers.
Sir Anthony Cleaver Sir Tom McKillop
The Big Bang 2009
Over 6,500 people attended The Big Bang 2009. Over three days at the QE2 Centre, London, nearly 5,000 young people, and more than 1,500 teachers, politicians, exhibitors, sponsors and members of the science and engineering community witnessed the UK’s biggest celebration of science and engineering.
Sir Anthony Cleaver, Co-patron of The Big Bang, said:
“The Big Bang lived up to its name. To have been able to give nearly 5,000 young people the opportunity to look at science and engineering with fresh eyes and explore the exciting opportunities on offer in the sector, is a tremendous achievement. I thank the nearly fifty organisations from the public and private sectors for coming together to give so many young people a boost towards something that might just change their lives.”
The Big Bang will be an annual event and plans are already underway for next year when The Big Bang will be in Manchester. The Big Bang 2010 will be even bigger and the organisers hope that over 10,000 young people will witness the UK’s biggest celebration of science and engineering. Details of The Big Bang 2010 will be available soon on this site.
More about the Big Bang 2009
The format of 2009's event:
- 200 project stands showcasing highly innovative science and engineering projects, including the National Science Competition that is open to all 13-19 year olds who will compete alongside regional finalists of the The British Science Association CREST Awards; and Young Engineers for Britain.
- Displays and demonstrations from leading UK-based organisations showcasing how science and engineering are part of our everyday lives.
- Inspirational and engaging shows and presentations explaining what the future holds for science and engineering, and how we’re going to get there.
- Workshops giving young people the chance to say what science and engineering mean to them and find answers to their many questions about career directions.
- An awards evening. The pinnacle of the event, this was public recognition of the students’ and teachers’ achievements, and the announcement of the National Science Competition winners.
Date Published: December 14, 2009
