Imperial’s evenings of discovery return

This November, Imperial Lates return with an exciting new season of free, after-hours events exploring Imperial science in fun and creative ways!

Imperial Lates are a series of popular, post-work events for adults, where members of the public can delve into a diverse range of research taking place at Imperial College London – while enjoying a bar selling refreshments, a DJ playing music (provided through a partnership with local music school The Rhythm Studio) and often a pub quiz!    

"We were blown away by the variety of perspectives, the questions and insights from audience members, as well as their genuine curiosity.”  Imperial Lates contributor

Each night centres on a theme, with our Imperial community coming together to share their research through hands-on demonstrations, inspiring talks, creative workshops and more. Teams create activities and exhibits themselves, with advice and support from Imperial’s Public Engagement team, or in partnership with local artists, community groups or creatives that the team commission (and can connect you with).   

Want to get involved? An open call (see below for further information) inviting Imperial teams to take part has opened today.

Four new themes 

Beginning on Thursday 7 November, the new season kicks off with an evening looking at the future of our cities – how urban environments might look or be built in the years to come, and how humans and wildlife might live within them.  

In December, research about the five senses will be in the spotlight, as well as activities and demonstrations that stimulate the senses to investigate any area of science. After a brief break over winter, Lates will return in February to lift the lid on “Weird” science … ie. scientific principles, topics and discoveries that might seem strange, unlikely or counter-intuitive to people.  

And finally, the 2024/25 Imperial Lates season will close in March after a night exploring Wellbeing. The public will learn about different areas that can help contribute to our overall health and wellbeing, touching on topics like food and nutrition, community and social networks, and mental health.  

James Romero, Public Engagement Programme Manager said: “Imperial Lates offer our Imperial community a fun, social setting to share their research in creative ways. Last season saw many unique activities take place, from sauerkraut making workshops to an AI-inspired silent disco, alongside discussions on topics like maintaining a healthy gut biome to overcoming racial bias in AI.”  

“We’re really looking forward to working with teams across the university to programme four more exciting evenings where staff and students can connect with the public, get feedback on their work and recruit potential research participants.” 

Share your work at the Lates  

Do you have research that fits into one of the themes above which you’d like to explore with the public? Over the years Imperial Lates has welcomed thousands of visitors eager to engage with science through exhibits, demonstrations, talks and workshops.  

The Public Engagement team have launched an open call today, inviting teams across Imperial to submit their ideas.

100% of participants in the 2023/24 season said taking part gave them new perspectives or ideas on societal engagement and 87% felt it increased their confidence when engaging the public.

One participant said the experience exceeded their expectations and that it was “an excellent opportunity to engage with wide audiences who had not necessarily encountered our topic before. We were blown away by the variety of perspectives, the questions and insights from audience members, as well as their genuine curiosity.” 

The Imperial Lates programming team welcomes early ideas as well as fully developed activities, as they can offer support to bring your initial thoughts to life. They can you help you develop an idea for an activity further, discuss opportunities to host a talk or take part in a panel discussion, or connect you with a creative practitioner to exhibit your research through an artistic workshop.  

The Open Call will remain open until January, with the following deadlines: 

• 20 September to submit ideas for Imperial Lates: Future Cities (taking place on 7 November 2024) 
• 11 October to submit ideas for Imperial Lates: Senses (on 5 December 2024) 
• 3 December to submit ideas for Imperial Lates: “Weird” Science (on 6 February 2025) 
• 10 January to submit ideas for Imperial Lates: Wellbeing (on 6 March 2025)  

Submit your ideas via the Imperial Lates Open Call > 
 
If you have any questions about getting involved you can contact the Lates team directly.

Taking part in other ways  

Want to help make these evenings of discovery happen as a volunteer? Each Imperial Lates is supported by a team of fantastic volunteers who help the events run smoothly, from welcoming members of the public to assisting with workshops. Learn more about volunteering at public events.  

Shifts to volunteer at the first Imperial Lates of the season (Future Cities on Thursday 7 November) will open closer to the time; you can sign up to the Volunteer portal to be the first to know when this happens!  

To hear about other opportunities to engage the public with our work at Imperial, sign up to the Societal Engagement newsletter. Or to stay up to date on registration opening for Imperial Lates, as well as information on other public activities taking place at Imperial, sign up to our events newsletter or follow @ImperialSpark.