Public Engagement
The Public Engagement team supports and promotes public engagement with research projects across Bath Spa University.
We are here to help our research staff and the public engage with one another. We provide guidance and training, and develop funding opportunities, to support public engagement activities.
What is Public Engagement?
"Public engagement describes the many ways in which the activity and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public. Engagement is by definition a two-way process, involving interaction and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit." – NCCPE
What is 'impact' in relation to Public Engagement?
“By impact we mean the ‘influence’ of research or its ‘effect on’ an individual, a community, the development of policy, or the creation of a new product or service. It relates to the effects of research on our economic, social and cultural lives.” – AHRC
“For the purposes of the Research Excellence Framework, impact is defined as an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia” – HEFCE
Case studies
Festival of Nature 2017
The Festival of Nature is an annual celebration of the natural world, led by the Bristol Natural History Consortium. Bath Spa University’s contribution to the Family Days in Keynsham and Bristol included the following projects:
- Hydrocitizenship (Prof. Owain Jones)
- Science at the Seaside (Dr. Kyriaki Hadjiafxendi)
- Alternative Protein Sources (Dr. Anil de Sequeira)
The target audience was members of the public local to Keynsham, Bath and Bristol, and in particular families with school-age children. We are currently awaiting data from the Bristol Natural History Consortium on specific visitor figures and feedback.
Opera from Georgian Bath
A costumed concert of music by Bath composers William Herschel and Venanzio Rauzzini, researched and edited by Dr Matthew Spring and performed by current Bath Spa students and professional baroque musicians. Technical support and costumes were provided by undergraduate students from Bath Spa.
This concert was presented in Bath’s Old Theatre Royal venue – which hosted many of Herschel’s and Rauzzini’s performances in their lifetime. The music in the programme had not been performed since the 18th century. The event was also presented in collaboration with Bath Festivals.
The audience was Bath Festival attendees and music students. The event was completely sold out.
Contact our team
- General enquiries: publicengagement@bathspa.ac.uk
- Jo Stubbs - Public Engagement Manager: j.stubbs@bathspa.ac.uk