IF Oxford is organised by Oxfordshire Science Festival
Trustees and a small team work year-round to develop and produce the annual Festival which began in 1992. The science and ideas Festival is an independent UK charity (Charity number 1151361).
IF Oxford captures interest in ‘science and ideas’ topics through educational projects and its quality October Festival. Events and long-term community programmes develop meaningful skills while sharing the positive impacts of innovation. Authentic connections with public audiences at the Festival increase science confidence and trust among adults and families in many venues across Oxford (click to enlarge map images.)
Download a 1-page ‘Get Involved’ (Word document)
See reports and programmes from past Festivals
The Oxford science and ideas Festival is a cost-effective and powerful way to bring people together.
We inspire curious minds of all ages and backgrounds to access and help shape new ideas.
Highlight academic and business capabilities within IF Oxford to show career pathways in an informal learning context.
IF Oxford helps build science, social and cultural capital (the knowledge, attitudes, experiences and resources that an individual accumulates throughout their life), which can ‘open doors’ to careers and support socioeconomic mobility.
Existing projects with partners across Oxfordshire attract a broad demographic audience (age, geography, ethnicity, social class) and conversations continue within friendship or family groups during and outside of your involvement.
Anyone can be part of this a high-quality programme of activity that inspires curious minds of all ages and backgrounds.
Could you help people see the world from a new perspective?
Contact the team to find out more, or visit: if-oxford.com/get-involved
IF Oxford is free-to-accesses for audiences, but the charity has no endowment or institutional ‘parent’. Oxford science and ideas Festival relies on sponsorship, grants and participation fees to cover costs. Sponsorship comes with appropriate recognition and allows the inclusion of quality contributions from organisations unable to pay.
The team can explore new sponsorship and grants ideas at any time: info@if-oxford.com
IF Oxford Trustees, staff and volunteers value:
- high quality research, teaching, and practice in knowledge development;
- contributing to society by creating accessible, innovative and high-quality material for public audiences;
- independence of political or industrial interests to offer a neutral platform that presents and amplifies evidence-based ideas;
- the full diversity of voices from all backgrounds and experiences and so help cultivate and include underrepresented voices in the ‘science and ideas’ ecosystem;
- cooperative relationships with organisations that share our values, and are committed to the advancement of knowledge and public engagement with research.
- Explore the charity’s Policies, ratified by the Oxfordshire Science Festival Board of Trustees.
Objectives:
- Run a Festival in Oxford with wide public appeal that uses a mixture of live, face-to-face events and digital media to present and initiate discussion on contemporary research and innovation from Oxford and its partner locations.
- Support science festival activity across Oxfordshire and any other geographical region of strategic importance.
- Create, and support the creation of relevant content that forms part of the annual Oxford science and ideas Festival.
- Develop the community of practice for public research engagement via the medium of a festival and its associated methodologies.
Acknowledgements:
- IF Oxford (Oxfordshire Science Festival, charity #11513661) is a non-profit organisation and uses contribution terms to define the scope of how the Festival and its operations manage rights and content.
- IF Oxford retains editorial control of our associated events to ensure they meet its values.
- All academic disciplines contribute to the vigour of the research and innovation endeavour, including the natural sciences, technologies, medicine, the social sciences, the arts and the humanities.
- The science and ideas ecosystem encompasses curiosity-led research, areas of research with a strategic focus, innovation and development for commercial or charitable purposes, socialisation of ideas through democratic processes and any verifiable contributions from public audiences.
- There has been a science festival in Oxford since 1992 with over 500,000 members of the public visiting over the past 25 years.
- The charity has no endowment or institutional ‘parent’ and relies on sponsorship, grants and participation fees to cover costs. To support IF Oxford through sponsorship or other means, please contact the team: info@if-oxford.com