Who are the public?
The Public are individuals, groups and communities external to the University. We don’t mean business and industry when talking about public engagement, but you may find that you engage with organisations that represent specific groups, or are running a public project.
They may not have affiliations with the University but may have an interest in, may benefit from, or be able to inform the work we’re doing at the university. They also may not be interested in what we’re doing, and that’s even more reason to try and engage with them! It can be helpful to think about the public as your “target audience”.
Whilst many refer to “the general public” as a broad catch-all, it can be helpful to be as specific as possible when defining your target audience, so you can tailor your engagement approach to suit their preferences and needs and yield more impactful engagement. For example, age, gender, ethnicity, location, lived experience, interests.
Depending on your project, you might be engaging locally, regionally, nationally or internationally.
Understanding our definition of who the public are to us will be explored as part of a process to develop a strategic approach to Public Engagement and this page will be updated accordingly. Watch out for updates soon to get involved.
What support is available?
There is plenty of support and guidance available. Please see the support for Engagement section to identify colleagues/teams to approach.
There is lots of great guidance within this Engagement portal.
Training and development opportunities are shared in the Public and Community Engagement Teams group.
Additional resources and training will be developed to support your Public Engagement activity, as part of a process to develop a strategic approach to Public Engagement and this page will be updated accordingly. Watch out for updates soon to get involved.
Ways to connect with the public
If starting from scratch feels daunting, there are numerous events already happening that provide a platform for engaging with the public here at Lancaster University. Some examples are:
The Lancaster University Public Lectures series runs throughout the year. Twice a year there is a call for nominations of speakers. You can submit anyone who you think would make a great speaker at one of our events... you can even put your own name forward! If approved, the Stakeholder Relations team will work with you to organise the event in a collaborative way that benefits your department. Public Lectures provide an opportunity for anyone working at Lancaster in a related field to engage with attendees alongside the main speaker, with demonstrations and stands at the event.
Bright Club: Ever fancied yourself as a comedian? Develop your communication skills and confidence by putting together a comedy set and performing at a real comedy gig! Full training and support is provided by Dr Steve Cross, an external skills trainer and comedian. Trust us, it’s a lot less scary than it sounds! If you are interested in taking part in the next cohort contact Dee Hennessy, Creative Engagement Manager. Email: d.hennessy@lancaster.ac.uk
Campus In The City: A family-friendly community festival at various venues in the Lancaster and Morecambe area. This event is organised by the Stakeholder Relations team, so you can focus on developing your activity and delivering it in an accessible way. The main festival takes place in Spring, with pop-up opportunities throughout the year. Keep an eye out for an open call to express your interest, or email: publicevents@lancaster.ac.uk
Light Up Lancaster: A light festival which takes place every November in Lancaster City Centre, which Lancaster University supports and takes part in. Each year an open call requests expressions of interest from researchers with a project idea. The festival producers then select a few which they think would be most suitable to be transformed into light art to feature in the festival or developed into a suitable workshop for families.
Faculty events: As well as the central Lancaster University Public Lectures programme, you may notice that faculties often put on their own events, or get involved in national initiatives such as Pint of Science or the Festival of Social Science. Contact your Departmental Engagement Lead to find out about opportunities within your department or faculty.
Recording and evaluating your activity
Don’t forget to record and monitor your activity as you go. More guidance is available in the evaluation and recording your engagement activities sections.
Tips for success
- Speak to colleagues and peers who have experience in this area for inspiration, advice and potential collaboration opportunities. The PE network is a great place to meet others interested in Public Engagement and find out what else is going on across the University. Seek out available support.
- Always consider EDI, accessibility and ethical practices.
- Think about evaluation from the start of planning your engagement, don’t leave it until the end. Once a project ends, make the time to reflect on lessons learned which can inform future projects
- Always inform your departmental Director of Engagement when you are going to engage with the public so they are aware and can signpost you to any useful resources
Public and community engagement case studies
There are some excellent examples of public and community events that have taken place across the University. Some of these are illustrated in the gallery below.
Within each example there is a link to a case study, that includes the key learning from the engagement - useful for anyone undertaking a similar activity.
Do you have any good examples that can be worked up into a case study? If so, please contact us: stakeholderrelations@lancaster.ac.uk
Library of lived experience
This study explored living libraries, a model for sharing personal experiences, as a strategy to support mental health. As part of the project co-designed workshops were held with those who have personal or professional experience of mental health issues. This utilised the lived experience of people to share their stories and educate others whilst breaking down stigma relating to mental health. This was an excellent example of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in research.
Library of lived experienceLittle researchers
This project aimed to help young people develop their research skills and appreciate the value of research as a tool for understanding better their local environment, through place-based learning. Little researchers is one of several projects that is part of the Morecambe Bay Curriculum (MBC) launched in 2019, by founding partners Lancaster and Morecambe College and Lancaster University. The MBC project was inspired by Eden Project Morecambe.
Little researchers case studyBee the Difference
This research project aimed to improve the outcomes for future young survivors of terror, informed by survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing. It was undertaken as a collaborative project, co-designed with and listening to the stories of the young survivors - how had they been affected and what support they received following the attack. It resulted in a report, called 'Bee the Difference,' made up of six proposals.
Bee the difference case studyThe marketplace and I
This project aimed to improve access to marketplace settings for consumers with disabilities by engaging public, industry, and governmental stakeholders. It worked actively with disabled persons from across the UK, asking them to develop artworks that represented their commercial experiences. It culminated in the development of 36 artworks exploring retail, hospitality, and tourism, and representing learning (autism), mobility (wheelchair users), and sensory (visual impairment) disabilities.
The marketplace and I case studyDecoding the northern lights- public lecture
Lancaster University’s Public Lecture Series aims to engage the local public with cutting-edge research. It gives researchers a chance to present research of public interest and begin a dialogue. This public lecture was delivered by Dr Maria Walach, Research Fellow in Physics.
Decoding the northern lights case studyFurness STEM show
The Furness STEM show is a two-day event for schools, held at Furness College, Barrow-in-Furness. The 2023 event was attended by 900 children from 24 different schools. Academics and technicians from Lancaster University attended the event. They put on four fun activities showcasing the research undertaken in the Biomedical and Life Sciences department.
The aim in attending the event was to inspire the next generation of biologists/biomedical scientists/biochemists to pursue future careers in STEM.
Furness STEM show