School booking information
This year's exhibition will be our biggest event yet and with more places available to schools this year, we hope you get the opportunity to be involved. Registration for schools is now closed. Applicants will be contacted by 19 April.
The Summer Science Exhibition offers a fantastic opportunity for school students and teachers to experience some of the UK's most cutting-edge science and technology research. What makes this event unique is the chance to meet and talk to the researchers behind the work on show.
This year’s exhibition will be held at London’s Southbank Centre, as part of the See Further Festival of Science + Arts, celebrating the 350th anniversary of the Royal Society in 2010 and jointly organised with Southbank Centre, the UK’s largest arts centre in the midst of the vibrant cultural quarter on the South Bank of the Thames.
The exhibition
This year’s exhibition features 28 different exhibits from researchers across the country with an emphasis on hands-on, approachable, interactive displays which have applications in the real world.
The exhibition is a great opportunity for students to find out what is happening at the forefront of the science subjects they are studying, and explore career options with some of today's leading scientists. We will have further details available on our website soon.
Interactive show
Schools visiting this year’s exhibition will also have the opportunity to attend the fantastic interactive science show - Musical makeovers: from dissonance to resonance. The show, presented by Professor of Acoustic Engineering, Trevor Cox from the University of Salford, looks at two bands, both with terrible singers, but who have one mission: to make them sound better.
Trevor Cox, singers from Voicelab and the audience will experiment with the vast range of sounds the human voice can make. High speed video, the world's largest whoopee cushion and some terrible downloads will show how the sounds are made and explain why some sounds are nice and others nasty.
How to register
The exhibition involves talking to researchers about their work, so it is ideal for both post-16 students and post-14 students who have an interest in science. All schools groups must be registered. You can register groups of up to 30 students. If you wish to bring more then please contact the Royal Society education department.
The closing date for registration was 31 March 2010. All applications will be processed after the closing date and places are limited. You will receive confirmation of your places by 19 April 2010.
Returnable deposit system
We are operating a returnable deposit system to secure your schools booking. When you register your school, you will be asked to state the number of students you wish to bring. Once your booking has been confirmed on 19 April, you will be asked to send a cheque to secure your booking. This cheque will not be cashed, but will be returned to you when you arrive at the exhibition. The value of this deposit cheque will vary depending on the number of students you wish to bring, but it will be no more than £60 in total.
Venue details
The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall
Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London
SE1 8XX
Find Southbank Centre on Google maps, or find Southbank centre on Streetmap
Find detailed information about Southbank Centre on the Southbank Centre website.
Opening times
The exhibition is open to schools:
| Monday 28 June | 10am – 1pm | & | 1pm – 4pm |
| Tuesday 29 June: | 10am – 1pm | & | 1pm – 4pm |
| Wednesday 30 June: | 10am – 1pm | & | 1pm – 4pm |
| Thursday 1 July: | 10am – 1pm | & | 1pm – 4pm |
| Friday 2 July: | 10am – 1pm | & | 1pm – 4pm |
The exhibition is open to the public 26 June – 4 July, 10am – 8.30pm daily.
Teaching materials
We will be developing some teaching resources to help you explore contemporary science issues in the classroom. These will be based on the exhibits at the event and will be available before the exhibition to help you prepare your class before your visit.
We will also be able to send some information about the exhibition for your students so that they know what to expect on the day.
Even if you are unable to visit the exhibition, these resources along with other details about the exhibits will be available on this website.