Big Screen Science, supported by The Wellcome Trust and NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), was a nationwide project that enabled secondary school students to produce films focussing on a range of issue-based biomedical science topics from Xenotransplantation to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

First Light collaborated with six UK Science Centres to host Info-Labs that brought together teachers, scientists and filmmakers to explore how science and the arts could collaborate. Back in their classrooms, the teachers worked-up proposals for biomedical science films with their students. Over 300 students and teachers returned for workshops where they wrote and edited TV news items, working with professional scriptwriters.

“It made science cool…, it was a brilliant way for them to learn” teachers involved in the project

Finally six schools from across the UK were chosen to make the Big Screen Science films and allocated £7,000 budget as well as the help and advice of professional filmmakers and scientists.

Pip Eldridge, Chief Executive of First Light said, “Big Screen Science has been such a worthwhile project, its success can’t simply be measured by the finished films alone. The ‘Info-Labs’ and workshops were fabulous events, clearly demonstrating how filmmaking can be beneficial in teaching complex biomedical science topics.

“The filmmaking process itself has proved hugely engaging for the schoolchildren, teachers and even the filmmakers and scientists too. The evaluation process for this project has been comprehensive and well supported by the schools. There has also been an excellent resource book to accompany the project, providing an insight into the filmmaking process and the strong curriculum links the project has had.”

“By developing the story, the students had to really understand and be able to argue a particular point of view based on the science.” Dr. Iain Price, cell biology research fellow.

Click here to watch the Perry Pigger Show, one of the Big Screen Science films which focues on xenotransplantation.

UK secondary schools who would like to receive their free Big Screen Science resource pack should email carl@firstlightonline.co.uk with their address and include “Big Screen Science resource pack” in the subject line or call 0121 224 7511