Calling all presenters! 

Our next conference will be on Friday 8th September 2023.  

Book your FREE ticket for the conference now!

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Can't make it to us in person? Join us online!

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The Royal Observatory is excited to host the Presenter Network Conference 2023. This one-day event will have lectures and workshops run by members of the network. We are extremely excited for our line up this year and can't wait for you to join us!

For the 2023 conference, our key note speaker will be the inspirational Paul Canoville. You can find out more about Paul in his keynote speaker profile.

 

What happens at a Presenter Network Conference?

We will have loads on offer at our conference, from short talks to interactive sessions as well as a planetarium show! The schedule for the day is as follows:

At the Royal Observatory
TIME EVENT
9:30 - 10:00 Registration
10:00 - 10:05 Welcome Address
10:05 - 11:00 Keynote address + Q&A - Paul Canoville
11:00 - 11:15 Short break
11:15 - 11:45 Talk 1 + Q&A - Sarah Cosgriff
11:45 - 12:15 Talk 2 + Q&A - Grace Buckle
12:15 - 12:45 Talk 3 + Q&A - Tom Rocks Maths 
12:45 - 13:45 Lunch
13:45 - 15:10 Presenter Surgery 
15:15 - 15:45 Workshop - Jamie Gallagher
16:00 - 16:15 Short break
16:15 - 16:25 Closing & Group Photo
16:30 - 17:00 Planetarium Show
Online

If you are attending online, all links will be sent to you via the email you registered with. If you have any issues on the day, please email rogastronomers@rmg.co.uk

TIME EVENT LOCATION
10:00 - 10:05 Welcome Address Livestream Link
10:05 - 11:00 Keynote address + Q&A Livestream Link
11:00 - 11:15 Short break
11:15 - 11:45 Talk 1 + Q&A - Tom Rocks Maths Livestream Link
11:45 - 12:15 Talk 2 + Q&A - Sarah Cosgriff Livestream Link
12:15 - 12:45 Talk 3 + Q&A - Grace Buckle Livestream Link
12:45 - 13:45 Lunch
13:45 - 14:45 Online workshop - Cassandra Wye Zoom link
14:45 - 15:45 Virtual Presenter Surgery Zoom link 

Jamie Gallagher

Lasting Impressions

Making talks as engaging, accessible and inclusive as possible starts before you even enter the room. In this short session Jamie will share his introvert’s guide to creating shows, talks and events that welcome as many people as possible. Discover how being the world’s worst and most awkward audience member has led Jamie to create spaces that anyone can feel comfortable in. He’ll also share tips on minimising nerves and dealing with hostile questions.

Twitter: @jamiebgall

An image for 'Jamie Gallagher'

Cassandra Wye

Fly Me to the Moon -  Building Access and Inclusion Through Science Storytelling 

Join Cassandra online for this practical demonstration of how science storytelling can promote inclusion by

  • Delivering an inclusive sensory science storytelling experience - for children with Additional Needs - including children with SEND and EAL children 
  • Developing children's science communication skills 
  • Providing an affordable and accessible science provision - by linking stories to science activities 
  • Celebrating the diverse cultural heritages within our communities

During this session Cassandra will be sharing stories and science resources from her Science Storytelling resource: wesharethesamemoon.org

An image for 'Cassandra Wye'

Dr Tom Crawford

Finding your voice on social media

In this session, Tom will talk about his journey with Tom Rocks Maths over the past 5 years. What began as an extension of his journalistic work with the Naked Scientists, has now evolved into a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a Maths Lecturer at Oxford. The changes have been significant, and the lessons learned even more so!

An image for 'Dr Tom Crawford'

Sarah Cosgriff

Be Queer, Do Science

In this session, Sarah will share how she weaves queer narratives into her science shows and TikTok content. They will also share their personal experiences as a queer science presenter and how you can be more inclusive of LGBTQ+ audiences and presenters.

An image for 'Sarah Cosgriff'

Grace Buckle

Working as a BSL interpreter in the Deaf community

This session will talk about my journey as an interpreter, how I got started to where I am now. I will also talk about accessibility and representation within the deaf community, what deafness is and British Sign Language.

An image for 'Grace Buckle'

Frequently asked questions:

 

  1. How can I book? If you are actively involved in presenting and have joined the presenter network feel free to grab yourself a FREE onsite or online ticket - see you there! 
  2. What is the Presenter Network?  The Presenter Network was set up in 2014 by the Royal Observatory Greenwich as a way for presenters to share best practice as well as watch others in action to develop their presenting style. Since then, we have run regular meet-ups in collaboration with other organisations and established hubs covering every aspect of presenting you could ever imagine; using comedy effectively, working with challenging audience members, how to look after your voice and everything in between.
  3. Who is this event for?  This network is created by presenters, for presenters so whether you are just starting out or want to freshen up your skills there will always be plenty to suit.  If you are not actively involved in presenting then I am afraid this is not the network for you!
  4. How much does it cost?  This event is FREE - yes you read that right - FREE!  This group operates purely on the good will of our members.  All meet-ups leaders, speakers and workshops facilitators are offering their time and experience for free which we are very grateful for.
  5. What is the capacity? We would love to open it up to any presenters that would like to come along but we can be limited by the capacity of the spaces we use. This year we are running the event as a hybrid conference so if you can't join us onsite you can take part online instead.
  6. Where and when is this event? The onsite conference will be held at the Royal Observatory Greenwich with the digital component online. For those attending the onsite conference, this document explains how to access the Royal Observatory Greenwich: 
    Access to the Royal Observatory for Daytime Events 2023.pdf
    pdf, 215.21 KB
  7. Will it all be about science?  No we will have people from across the public communication sector, however because the network is run by the team here at the Royal Observatory Greenwich our networks naturally included lots of science related places and people.

 

Presenter Network Conference
© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

Here's some of the feedback from previous conferences:

 

Word wall sharing feedback from the conference

 

"Thanks for another great conference.  Once again, I’ve got another handful of extremely useful tips I intend to implement in to my practice as soon as possible."

 

"It was great to meet so many other communicators as well, such a supportive and positive community."

 

"Event was very useful and entertaining with insightful and eye-opening talks from speakers. Would attend again!"

 

"Managed a grand total of one tweet today, but that’s down to the day being a. Packed with *excellent* talks and workshops and b. Running so perfectly to time. Thanks @ROGAstronomers for a fantastic #PresenterNet2019!"