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Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

 

What is Science and Engineering Day?

Science and Engineering Day is the University of Southampton family-friendly day of discovery and exploration, packed with more than a hundred interactive activities, workshops, live shows, art performances and laboratory tours.

During the day, you can explore the University and some of its facilities, meet and interact with researchers, local community groups, public engagement professionals and artists!

The event is FREE but registration is required.

This spring, Science and Engineering Day will take place on Saturday 16th March, from 10:30 to 16:30, at the Highfield Campus (SO17 1BJ) and Boldrewood innovation Campus (SO16 7QF). The event is free to attend but pre-booking via Eventbrite is required.

Please remember: all Science and Engineering Day signage will have a light blue background.

Our Festival team will wear a red t-shirt, Student Ambassadors light blue t-shirts and Festival exhibitors will wear white t-shirts.

 

 

Why do I have to book tickets for Science and Engineering Day if it's free?

We ask everyone to book online a free general admission ticket, in advance, and to check-in to one of our Welcome Desks during the day.

This helps us with planning, sending you essential communications and ensuring the best visitor experience on the day and at future events.

PLEASE NOTE: to reduce waste to a minimum, we kindly ask everyone to avoid printing their tickets if possible. Once at the Welcome Desk, please show on your mobile phone or device the QR code on the email confirmation you received from Eventbrite or just provide the name and surname of the contact you used for booking. You can also download the Eventbrite app onto your iPhone or Android device to show the QR code at the desk.

 

 

Is Science and Engineering Day really suitable for all ages?

Yes, we have activities that will entertain everyone from young children to adults. You can check the 'Age suitable for' information for each activity to check more closely about this.

Paper wristbands will be available at the Welcome Desk for toddlers, children and vulnerable adults. You can use those to enter your contact phone number on the band(s) in case anyone gets separated/lost during the day.

A list of facilities for babies and information on other useful resources available on the day can be found on our Accessibility page.

 

 

Is Science and Engineering Day accessible to people with specific needs?

Yes, we are doing our best to address barriers and make Science and Engineering Day accessible to everyone. We've been making some accessibility changes with support from Autism Hampshire, Deaf Action, Southampton Sight and Winchester Science Centre.

Please visit our comprehensive Accessibility page to find out what resources and support will be available on the day.

 

 

How can I find my way around Science and Engineering Day?

You can use the website ahead of time to plan your experience.

All activity descriptions will have a building number and an embedded Google Maps link to show where they are located on campus.

On arrival, you can pick up a Science and Engineering Day official map with the programme of live events and the list of all activities from one of our Welcome Desks.

There is lots going on - it's just about possible to see everything in one day, but that would be ambitious, especially if you are with children or have additional needs. It can help to make a list in advance of things you want to head for or prioritise.

There are customised trails and a sensory map to help your understanding what to expect on site. These are now available on our Accessibility page.

 

 

Do I have to pre-book for activities at Science and Engineering Day?

A few of our most popular shows have ticketing, so we can manage numbers across the day for a great visitor experience.

Activities and events that require booking are clearly labelled on the Timetable. If you have already booked a general admission ticket, we will message you through Eventbrite to let you know that tickets for the shows have been released (in case of delays).

For these shows, we release a proportion of tickets in advance on Eventbrite (check for the 'Book Your Ticket' button on the activity page), but we keep some tickets for release on the day on a first-come-first-served basis.

PLEASE NOTE: tickets for timed events are not sufficient for general event check-in at the Welcome Desk. You need to book a free general admission ticket as well.

 

 

I want to see a particular show, but all the tickets have gone.

Don't worry, additional tickets for all shows will be available on the day, but please be aware they are on a first-come-first-served basis.

On arrival, go directly to the venue where the show will take place (see location link on the activity description), where one of our Festival team will help you to book your tickets at the Ticket Desk.

PLEASE NOTE: You will not find tickets for any of the shows at the Welcome Desks.

 

 

How do I get to the Science and Engineering Day?

Visit the Find us page for directions, sustainable travel and parking information.

We run a Travel Sustainably Competition with amazing prizes, so where possible, plan your journey to enter the prize draw when checking-in to one of our Welcome Desks.

PLEASE NOTE: There will be limited parking available on Highfield Campus and Boldrewood Innovation Campus. If coming by car, we strongly recommend you park your car in one of the car parks available in Southampton and then reach Highfield Campus and Boldrewood Innovation Campus by using a Unilink bus or Voi e-scooter.

Additional parking will be available at Avenue Campus (SO17 1BF). A free shuttle bus will be available throughout the day to all visitors moving between Avenue Campus, Boldrewood Innovation Campus and Highfield Campus.   

 

 

Will I be able to purchase food and drinks while I'm at Science and Engineering Day?

A range of cafés and food outlets on and near campus will be open, plus there will be a few street vendors at Highfield campus.

Campus outlets will be marked on the Festival programme, available from the Welcome Desks upon registration. Alternatively, there are places to picnic, if you prefer to bring your own food and drink.

 

 

I am coming as part of a group - what do I need to know?

If you are travelling to Science and Engineering Day with a mini-bus, or if you plan to have lunch together as a group, please get in touch by email at festival@soton.ac.uk or use our dedicated contact form to discuss potential spaces.

You will find children's wristbands at the Welcome Desk, as mentioned in the age suitability section above.

Please note that as mentioned in the section above, some activities are ticketed and you can book tickets online for these in advance or pick up tickets on the day, but on a first-come-first-served basis. We strongly recommend pre-booking if you are intending to experience a ticketed activity as a group.

 

 

How can I provide feedback for Science and Engineering Day?

We kindly ask everyone attending Science and Engineering Day to complete a short anonymous survey hosted on Microsoft Forms. This will be emailed to all ticket holders via Eventbrite a day after the event.

The purpose of this is to help with understanding how the day went, areas we can improve, celebrating what worked and ensuring the best possible visitor experience during future Festival events, and your feedback is greatly appreciated.

For any other feedback, please email festival@soton.ac.uk or use our dedicated contact form.

 

 

What similar events can I join in with my family?

The UoS Festival team at the Public Engagement with Research unit organises several family-friendly events across the year.

Our annual Southampton Science and Engineering Festival (SOTSEF) is held every March, during British Science Week. You can still explore content on demand from past events by visiting the festival website area.

We also organise the University's annual Southampton Arts and Humanities Festival, which is held every November, in parallel with Being Human festival. The programme usually includes Hands-on Humanities Day, a free family-friendly event usually taking place at Avenue Campus, with interactive hands-on activities, workshops, exhibits and talks.

For Southampton Arts and Humanities Festival we now also contribute towards related special events including Black History Month (October), UK Disability History Month (November-December) and LGBT+ History Month (February).

The UoS Festival team also has a dedicated YouTube channel with video resources and recordings of events from past Festivals.

You could also follow UoS Engagement on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram and request to join our UoS Festival mailing list to find out more and stay up to date with the latest opportunities.

 

 

I have another question - how do I get in touch?

Please send an email to festival@soton.ac.uk or use our dedicated contact form.