25 May 2018
  • The 2018 FameLab International Final will take place on 7 June 2018 in Cheltenham
  • 27 science communicators from across the world will compete for the International FameLab title
  • Judges to include Vivienne Parry (science writer and broadcaster), Clifford Johnson (Professor in Physics and Astronomy, author and science communicator) and Farrah Nazir (Acting Creative and Partnerships Lead, Wellcome Trust)
  • Hungary and Bangladesh are represented for the first time ever
  • Compered by the BBC’s Quentin Cooper

27 of the best science communicators from around the globe are heading to Cheltenham Science Festival for the eleventh FameLab International Final which kicks off in June.

The science competition, created by Cheltenham Festivals and co-produced by the British Council, aims to discover up-and-coming scientists who inspire people to see the world from a new perspective.

Each contestant will deliver a three-minute presentation on their chosen topic. Every presentation will be judged according to the golden rule of the 3 Cs: content, clarity and charisma.

Finalists from across five continents will compete to be named as the most interesting, accessible and charismatic science communicator by a panel of expert judges. The final will take place at The Arena in front of a packed Cheltenham Festival audience. Thousands will watch the live-stream around the world.

This year’s finals will feature contestants from 27 countries: Malta, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Poland, Greece, South Africa, Egypt, Italy, Ireland, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Portugal, UK, Netherlands, Korea, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Brazil, Spain, Romania, Cyprus, France, and Australia.

Since its inception at the Festival in 2005, FameLab has grown into the world’s leading science communication competition. A partnership with the British Council since 2007 has seen the competition go global with more than 9000 young scientists and engineers participating to date.

The final will take place on Thursday 7 June from 8.45pm - 10.15pm (UK time). The event will be live streamed via FameLab Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/famelab

You can also keep up with all of the action on Twitter by following @FameLab and @CheltSciFest, and join the conversation using #FameLab.

Tickets are available on www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

 

Notes to Editor

FameLab® is a competition owned and created by Cheltenham Festivals in the UK. The British Council has license to deliver the competition in 25 countries overseas.

Cheltenham Science Festival
Cheltenham Science Festival is a six-day celebration of science, engineering and the arts and is produced by Cheltenham Festivals. The Festival brings the world's leading scientists and thinkers face to face with the public for debates, experiments and surprising discoveries. The Festival’s Science for Schools year-round programme offers inspirational and interactive opportunities including science communication competition FameLab Academy, LabLive touring science shows, hands-on workshops and a careers day for young people.

Biographies and photos of this year’s contestants and past international winners are available upon request.

Press Contact
Nicola Norton
Senior Press Officer
British Council
nicola.norton@britishcoucil.org

About the British Council

The British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We work with over 100 countries in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Last year we reached over 65 million people directly and 731 million people overall including online, broadcasts and publications. We make a positive contribution to the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust. Founded in 1934 we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive 15 per cent core funding grant from the UK government. www.britishcouncil.org

 
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