We The Curious joins the Better Business network

The South West’s largest educational charity and science centre We The Curious, whose home is in Millennium Square in Bristol, has joined Bristol 24/7’s Better Business network, which helps businesses grow while they create a positive impact throughout Bristol.

We The Curious produces experiences that bring people together to play, get creative with science, and explore different ideas. It works with partners locally and nationally, supporting people to be inquisitive, develop new skills and improve their wellbeing.

Its vision is for a future where everyone is included, curious and inspired by science, to build a better world together.

Since the closure of the beloved We The Curious venue in Millennium Square as a result of a fire in April 2022, the independent charity has worked on a highly challenging and complex repair programme to get the building back open for early summer this year.

Undeterred by the venue closure, We The Curious embarked on an extensive programme of free Out and About activities and school takeovers as soon as the fire happened, which so far has included 260 events, including more than 36,500 interactions with people across Bristol. The team has engaged with thousands of people who had never been inside the building or felt it was for them, and the work in schools helps to tackle educational inequalities by bringing creative and STEM learning opportunities to children and young people.

We The Curious have been keeping busy with Out & About workshops since the fire – photo: We The Curious

Science centres and museums are part of a larger system that has historically excluded certain groups of people due to bias in society and academia. We The Curious wants this to change, and its innovative ‘Open City Research’ programme is about giving everyone the opportunity to be part of the scientific research process. The programme overcomes the challenges that separate audiences from research by creating space for audiences and researchers to work together, so the benefits of research reflect and are relevant to a broader society.

We The Curious will reopen in 2024 with ‘Project What If’ (PWI). The £6m project is the first major science centre exhibition in the UK inspired entirely by the curiosity of a city’s residents. It aims to create greater and more inclusive engagement in STEM to tackle social and educational inequality, reflecting the pledges in We The Curious’ manifesto.

We The Curious was shortlisted along with Coca Cola and Heathrow Airport at the national RAD 2024 Awards for its ‘Reimagining Recruitment’ campaign which was designed to make the recruitment process more inclusive for candidates.

Donna Speed, We The Curious chief executive, says: “The B24/7 Better Business network has really grown in the last couple of years and is demonstrating real impact that is making a difference to communities and groups that need it the most.

“We’re really excited to join the B24/7 Better Business network along with these other great businesses and organisations, and carry on making a positive difference in our wonderful city. And hopefully it won’t be long before we can welcome other Better Business members into our beautifully restored venue!”

Main photo: We The Curious

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