Lates is one of the museum's biggest events, with each one themed around a science-related subject. It's free and attracts around 3,000 visitors over the course of each night. The majority of visitors are 18–35, looking for a free, fun and engaging night out.
Why join us?
We offer you the opportunity to run an activity with lots of very keen and eager-to-engage adults. In some cases, we may be able to offer financial assistance to help support your activity.
Upcoming themes
The upcoming Lates are:
- Love Lates – 7 March 2024
- Create Lates – 9 May 2024
- Journey of Life Lates – 4 July 2024
- Movie Lates – 12 September 2024
- Blood Lates – 24 October 2024
- Christmas Lates – 18 December 2024
Topics we are interested in exploring:
- Psychology and neuroscience of human relationships and love
- Art and craft inspired by STEM
- Craftship in STEM
- Cutting edge women’s healthcare
- AI in healthcare
- The future of and innovations in global food systems
- The science and tech of film and cinema
- Living in extreme cold environments
- Snow and ice
- STEM linked to Christmas or winter
- LGBTQ+
- Social inequality and inclusion linked to STEM topics
- Climate change and sustainability
Please note that we confirm all events for each theme around 8–9 weeks before the event.
What we're looking for
Three different types of events fit into Lates:
1. Talks
- 30 minute talks, informal Q&A session facilitated by a Science Museum staff member, or in-conversations between two knowledgeable people
- Caters to around 100 people over the night
- Introduces people to a concept and enthuses them about it
- Engage the audience with a new perspective on a familiar topic
2. Drop-in events
- Run from 18.45–21.30
- Caters to around 400–600 people over the night
- Informal sessions allowing visitors to speak directly with participants about their work
- Can be anything from showing off new technology or demonstrating scientific concepts to a performance or an experience
- Visitors especially enjoy highly interactive activities that engage multiple senses e.g. touch, smell, even taste
3. Workshops
- Run from 18.45–21.30
- Caters to around 500 people over the night
- Can be something that everyone contributes to create a collective result
- An alternative is a ‘make and take’—something for visitors to create and take away that can be completed in 15–20 mins, makes no mess and is rewarding and aesthetically pleasing
- Can also involve people learning a task, e.g. dance, drumming, knitting, games etc
4. Performance
- Drop-in experiences from 18.45–21.30 or timed and repeated 2+ times
- Our visitors love experience creative performance from dance, music, poetry and storytelling
Things to bear in mind
- Audience interaction: how will you keep your audience engaged?
- Jargon free: our audiences generally have no specific scientific knowledge so technical language must be kept to a minimum
- Humour: Lates visitors always respond very positively to added humour
- Social media: opportunities for our audiences to show their appreciation
- Costs: we have very limited funding but we can offer some assistance
- Resources: as a museum we are sometimes restricted in what we can do
- Health and safety: risk assessments and method statements will be required for most activities
Open call for Lates participants
Interested in taking part in an upcoming Lates at the Science Museum? Let us know what you have in mind by filling in the form below.