About the ESRC Festival of Social Science
The ESRC Festival of Social Science will give you a fascinating insight into some of the country's leading social science research and how it influences our social, economic and political lives - both now and in the future.
You may be surprised at just how relevant the Festival's events are to society today. Social science research makes a difference. Discover how it shapes public policy and contributes to making the economy more competitive, as well as giving people a better understanding of 21st century society. From big ideas to the most detailed observations, social science affects us all everyday - at work, in school, when bringing up the children, when we are ill, even when we retire.
Everyone - from schoolchildren to politicians - can take part in and hear about social science research at one or another of the Festival's very varied events.
To that end, this celebration of the social sciences is made up of initiatives across the UK - get involved with public debates, conferences, workshops, interactive seminars, film screenings, virtual exhibitions and much more.
This is the eighth year that ESRC has held the Festival of Social Science and each year the Festival grows from strength to strength. See what Melanie Knetsch (ESRC) says about the Festival of Social Science.
See: Evaluation of the 2009 Festival of Social Science (PDF)