Science Ceilidh

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Science Ceilidh

The Science Ceilidh is an award-winning educational organisation bringing people together with science and traditional music and arts.

We support cultural & knowledge democracy in Scotland through our Community Knowledge Matters network for community-led research, Curiosity In Action for interdisciplinary youthwork & the Culture & Wellbeing Community Network Scotland Our community programmes empowers participants from across Scotland - from exploring gaelic bilingualism & health, memory & music or creativity & wellbeing with rural communities across Scotland, New Scots in Edinburgh, young people with additional support needs, disadvantaged youth groups with our Curiosity Club and a long-term science residency with Leith Labs, to participate and share arts, science and culture together. Our education programme has inspired over 12,000 pupils in both primary and high schools, along with supporting teachers, to explore the cutting-edge interdisciplinary science behind music, creativity and learning and actively breaking stereotypes about Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths alongside Arts careers. As a band, we've had over 16,000 dancers up and moving at festivals, events and conferences all around the world - from simulating your immune system with the Dashing White Blood Cell to swinging your partner DNA base-pairs in the Orcadian-Strip-the-Helix or learning about light in the Fluorescence Fling - partnering with researchers to communicate their work in creative & accessible ways. We’re passionate about working with those who traditionally do not participate in science through barriers, lack of provision or starting conversations with those outwith the converted based on a relationship-focused approach, honest partnership working for sustainability and generous leadership to share our learnings, reflections and resources for wider impact.

16/09/2026

What can we learn from young people leading their own research?

Join us for our next Conversation Station with OPEN, Shetland’s first youth-led charity, on Wednesday 23 September at 1pm.

Shannon Boston, Rhiannan Burns and Emma Coutts will share OPEN’s journey and their experiences with peer and youth-led research. Come along to hear what they’ve learned about turning research into meaningful action, plus key insights from projects such as Shift Up, which connects young people directly with local change-makers.

Everyone is welcome to join, including current Community Knowledge Matters network members and anyone interested in community-led, peer or youth-led research.

Join the network to receive an invitation, or register for this Conversation Station:
www.communityknowledgematters.com/new-events-1/conversation-with-open

YouthLink Scotland The Ideas Fund Moray Wellbeing Hub Shetland Islands Council

08/09/2026

Tomorrow, our Director Lewis Hou will be joining Youth Scotland's National Impact Network to share learning from our Curiosity in Action action research and introduce the new Curiosity in Action Toolkit. 🔬

The toolkit brings together learning from our two-year programme pairing youth groups across Scotland with researchers, and is designed to help others put that learning into practice in their own settings.

Lewis will be sharing some of the approaches and learning behind the toolkit with practitioners at tomorrow’s session, and we’re looking forward to hearing how others might use and adapt it in their own work!

You can explore the free Curiosity in Action Toolkit here:
scienceceilidh.typeform.com/curiosity

📸 Lewis at one of our Curiosity in Action action research meetings with youth workers and researchers involved in the programme.

07/09/2026

Only 1 day to go until our Curiosity in Communities Community of Practice! 🔬

Join us online tomorrow, Tuesday 8th September, 1pm to 2.30pm, as we bring together people interested in the role of STEM in youth work and Community Learning and Development.

We’ll be exploring our new Curiosity in Action Toolkit and Final Impact Report, sharing learning from the programme and creating space to connect and share useful resources.

If you work in CLD, youth work, science engagement or research, or are interested in how STEM can support youthwork outcomes, we’d love to see you there!

➡️ Book your free place via Eventbrite:
www.eventbrite.com/e/1993548327713

04/09/2026

What did the young people involved in Curiosity in Action have to say?

Over two years, young people across seven youth groups in Scotland explored STEM alongside researchers, trying activities and ideas that they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to experience.

When we asked them what Curiosity in Action meant to them, one thing came through pretty clearly. Science could be fun, and was a chance to try something completely new. Swipe to hear about Curiosity in Action in their own words!

Their experiences, alongside learning from the youth workers and researchers involved helped to shape our free Curiosity in Action Toolkit.

Explore the toolkit and our Final Impact Report here:
scienceceilidh.typeform.com/curiosity

Join our upcoming Community of Practice & toolkit launch event:
Tuesday 8 September 2026, 1pm-2:30pm (free, online)
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/curiosity-in-communities-community-of-practice-september-2026-tickets-1993548327713

03/09/2026

5 days to go until our Curiosity in Communities Community of Practice! 🔬

Join us online on Tuesday 8th September, 1pm to 2.30pm, for our Curiosity in Action Toolkit Launch event.

Connect with others and share learning around the role of STEM in youth work.

We’ll take a look at the Toolkit and Final Impact Report, hear from others working across the sector, share ideas and share useful resources.

If you work in CLD, youth work, science engagement or research and have an interest in the role of STEM in supporting Community Learning and Development (CLD) practice outcomes with and by young people, come along!

➡️ Book via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/e/1993548327713

30/08/2026

"I really really like science, so it means a lot, and I really want to be a scientist when I grow up."

This video features one of the young people from Hearts FC Innovation Centre who took part in Curiosity in Action, and this quote captures so much of what the programme was about.

Over two years, Curiosity in Action paired youth groups across Scotland with researchers to explore STEM together.

The toolkit that came out of the programme is free to use and adapt, with an online interactive version and a printable pdf. Access it here: scienceceilidh.com/curiosity-in-action-toolkit

Join our upcoming Community of Practice:
Tuesday 8 September 2026, 1pm-2:30pm (Free, online)

eventbrite.co.uk/e/curiosity-in-communities-community-of-practice-september-2026-tickets-1993548327713

27/08/2026

What happens when researchers step outside their usual ways of working and explore STEM alongside young people?

As part of our Curiosity in Action programme, we paired researchers with seven youth groups across Scotland to explore STEM together over two years. But it wasn't only the young people and youth workers who learnt along the way!

Researchers told us the experience increased their confidence in working with young people, helped them think differently about making science accessible and encouraged them to experiment without always needing a specific end goal.

➡️ See what they had to say!

Our Curiosity in Action Toolkit brings together learning from these partnerships, including guidance on building a partnership, session templates, activity ideas and creative evaluation methods.

It's free to use, with an interactive online version and printable PDF.

Find out more, and access the toolkit:
scienceceilidh.typeform.com/curiosity

Join our upcoming Community of Practice:
Tuesday 8 September 2026, 1pm-2:30pm (Free, online)

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/curiosity-in-communities-community-of-practice-september-2026-tickets-1993548327713?

UK Research and Innovation
Science and Technology Facilities Council
YouthLink Scotland

21/08/2026

Our Community Knowledge Matters community of practice sessions are back after the summer break!

If you’re interested in community-led research and Community Data Infrastructure, this is a space to share, learn and connect with like-minded peers from across rural and island Scotland.

Join us this coming Thursday 27th August, 1pm to 2.30pm (online) for our next session. It’s informal and shaped by those who attend.

Sign up to the network and mailing list to receive your invite:

scienceceilidh.typeform.com/HInetwork

Photo Credit: Alexander Williamson

18/08/2026

What have we learnt about the value of STEM in youth work?

Our Curiosity in Action Final Impact Report is out! 🎉

Over two years of action research, we worked with seven youth groups across Scotland and fourteen researchers to explore what happens when STEM becomes part of youth work, and we learnt a lot along the way.

One of the things we saw was how these experiences could change the way young people saw themselves and what they felt was possible.

One youth worker described how the boys in their group initially gravitated towards space topics while the girls held back. That began to change when female researcher Sophie joined the sessions:

“I think having Sophie really helped to cut through that and let them see ‘we can do that’.”

We also saw how exploring science in a youth work setting gave young people space to be curious, try something new, make mistakes and discover that something not working wasn't a reason to stop exploring.

As another youth worker put it, “It creates a space that benefits young people now, not just somewhere down the line.”

Our Final Impact Report brings together what we learnt across the two years, including the challenges and impact we saw along the way.

Download the report and our free Curiosity in Action Toolkit here:
scienceceilidh.typeform.com/curiosity

YouthLink Scotland
Science and Technology Facilities Council
UK Research and Innovation

14/08/2026

We asked the youth workers who took part in our Curiosity in Action programme what changed when STEM entered their sessions. Swipe to hear it in their words!

Curiosity in Action was our two-year programme pairing youth groups across Scotland with researchers to explore STEM together.

Our toolkit inspired by the programme brings together everything those partnerships learned, including how to set up a partnership, session templates, activity ideas and fun evaluation methods. The toolkit is free to use, with an interactive online version, and a printable pdf.

Find out more, and get your copy today: scienceceilidh.typeform.com/curiosity

Funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, with support from YouthLink Scotland.

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Edinburgh
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Telephone

+447813743662

Website

http://www.scienceceilidh.com/

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