Why will a record number of more than 500 music festivals take place in the UK this year? Some of the reasons for the rapid growth in the UK music festival and free party scene were showcased at an exciting, interactive multimedia exhibition organised in Bristol as part of the Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) Festival of Social Science last week.

A film created by secondary school children from Sheffield is giving them a chance to have their views heard on a topic close to their hearts: the design of their school. The film also offers practical recommendations on how to get children engaged in research findings.

Youth homelessness and eating disorders are two areas of health highlighted by young people in Cardiff in a project that uses digital technology to create short films which detail public health issues.

The winner of the 2010 Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Knowledge Transfer Partnership prize for the Best Application of Social or Management Science has saved the Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) an estimated £350,000. The winning project aimed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Trust's transport systems.

Are you a Second Life resident looking to get a bit more out of your virtual world? If so, join Sheila Yoshikawa at 20.00 (13.00 Second Life time) on March 18 on Sheffield University's Second Life island, Infolit ischool, for hints and tips on searching, shopping and sightseeing.

One in four UK children has a mother born overseas which means at least one parent speaks a foreign language at home. But what are the challenges for parents raising bilingual and multilingual offspring?

The winner of the 2010 Michael Young Prize has been announced as Dr Ann Le Mare for her work on the impact of fair trade on the wellbeing of women, businesses and organisations in Bangladesh. This prestigious prize is awarded for excellence in the social sciences and is sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and The Young Foundation.

Happiness, police interviews, 'competitive conversations' and workplace smells are just some of the subjects that academics from University of Essex will be talking about in a week of presentations aimed at explaining to the general public what it is that social scientists actually do.

Should cannabis be legalised? This thorny political issue will be debated by teams of school children in a national competition designed to challenge the pupil's scientific knowledge.

Ever wanted to know how designers come up with ideas for the clothes we wear, the bags we carry, the patterns in our homes, and the designs of the future?