Cardiff University School of Physics and Astronomy manages the South East Wales hub of The Presenter Network – a local, national and international network set up for presenters to share best and worst practice. There are hubs across the UK united under the same Presenter Network Manifesto but operating on a local level. The Royal Observatory Greenwich hub coordinates the network as a whole.
Who is it for?
The Presenter Network is solely for those who are actively involved in presenting any sort of educational session in science and discovery centres, educational institutes, museums, visitor centres and in the media. This is not a general education group, we created it so presenters can get together and share best practice as well as watch others in action to develop their presenting style.
How much does it cost?
Taking part in network events is FREE and the network is not specifically funded. This group operates purely on the good will of our members with all meet-ups, leaders, speakers and workshops facilitators offering their time and experience for free. We are incredibly grateful to all the members for their enthusiasm, generosity and help to keep this network alive.
Why do you focus on presenting?
Quite simply because there is a demand for it. There are many fantastic science communication, museum and education networks out there with a much wider remit than just presenting. We don’t compete with them but rather compliment them by dedicating our focus to addressing a very specific aspect of public communication that the sector has identified through this process as needing attention.
How often do they run?
Each of the local hubs plan their sessions to suit their local network but in general hubs will meet once every three months always between 3pm and 5pm. There is also an annual conference held at the Royal Observatory Greenwich each years so get in touch for more details.
What is the structure of a session?
The order of the sessions is always the same; 1 hour taking part in a facilitated education session followed by a 1 hour discussion (made up of a short welcome by the hub leader and the discussion facilitated by the hosting group). Every topic idea for a session comes from the network. This could be that someone has presented something new and learned things they want to share or they could be having difficulty with something and looking for advice. More information about the Presenter Network and what to expect can be found here.
How can I get involved?
To join the South East Wales hub, your first need to register via the main Presenter Network website by clicking this button:
Once you’ve registered, our Presenter Network colleagues will pass your details to us so we can drop you a line to say ‘Hi.’
We won’t be bombarding you with emails, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from us for a little while. We will only get in touch with you when we have a training session coming up. You can join discussions safely and securely with other network members both locally and more widely on PadLet. We will also use PadLet to share presenting opportunities with you.
You can get in touch at anytime if you have questions or would like to suggest a session, just email Sarah Eve Roberts at robertsS38@cardiff.ac.uk
Sign up to The Presenter Network and come along to our next networking event!
