Welcome to the event, information about the programme and a chance to meet the other attendees (with a virtual icebreaker for remote attendees).

While we love to talk about abstract topics and share beautiful mathematical ideas, much of the communication of mathematics that many people see and engage with relates to more everyday topics - interpreting statistics in newspapers, applying maths to finance, and basic problem-solving skills. As well as being a focus of the new Core Maths qualification, this kind of mathematics is covered by media outlets like Radio 4’s More or Less, and consumer finance experts like Martin Lewis. We’ll discuss the various ways people can engage with everyday maths, and how communication with these audiences differs from other forms of maths outreach.

Panellists TBC.

This session will provide you with some of the fundamental principles you need to embed disability equality into your work. This is not a ‘how to’ guide, but rather an exploration of some of the mechanisms which bring about ableism, and some tools to ensure that we are developing anti-ableist practice.

Michèle Taylor is Director for Change for Ramps on the Moon, the Arts Council England funded consortium working to enrich the stories we tell and how we tell them by elevating the place of disabled and deaf people across the theatre industry.

She is also an independent disability equality consultant, having set up her business in 1992 as a trainer and strategist in disability issues, working with cultural and heritage organisations as they work towards making their practices, policies and premises open to disabled people. Previous clients have included Arts Council England, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Opera House, Universities including Nottingham and Gothenberg and the University of the Arts in London, the British Museum and Cultural Heritage Without Borders.

Split session with skills workshops on four topics. Participants will be able to sign up for a session on the day, but numbers in each will be limited so we cannot guarantee your first preference.

• Making YouTube Videos, with YouTuber and mathematician James Grime
  Maths videos on YouTube can be used to teach maths, or to just show people something interesting. Making videos doesn't have to be technically difficult, but is good practice in explaining difficult concepts in clear and succinct ways. In this session we will discuss how to make your first YouTube video, including questions about content, presentation and video making.
• Coding and physical computing, with Jonathan Sanderson from NUSTEM
  In this workshop session, you'll get stuck into cardboard and wires to make an electro-mechanical musical contraption. From there, we'll look at a range of other projects and workshops we've delivered over the years, assessing their respective strengths and weaknesses. And we'll finish by having a good solid think about where the boundaries lie between maths, coding, and engineering; the role of tinkering methodologies in maths engagement; and areas of mathematics which might lend themselves to the sorts of approach explored in the session. Bring a willingness to rough things out with a pencil, and leave with... maybe a new project idea?
• 3D printing and fabrication, with Newcastle University's Christian Lawson-Perfect and JMU's Laura Taalman
  The technology of 3D printing allows for models and prototypes to be easily made using computer design. Learn from Christian how to build basic 3D models and where you can access ready-made models and printing services. Then see how Laura has used 3D printed models to communicate mathematical ideas, and what kinds of challenges and benefits arise when creating hands-on mathematical models with 3D printing.
• Zine Making, with science communicator and illustrator Hana Ayoob
  Zines are small self-published magazines or pamphlets which are usually produced in small numbers and given away for free or sold for a small fee. Both finished zines and zine making workshops can be used within science communication and engagement. Find out more about the possibilities of zine making, share your own experiences & make your own simple zine in this informal session.

Workshop Leaders

James Grime started making his first maths YouTube videos while working as a postdoc in 2008. James has made maths videos with Cambridge University, the Royal Institution, and MathsWorldUK, and is also a presenter on the popular YouTube channel Numberphile, which now has over 4 million subscribers worldwide.

Jonathan Sanderson is accidentally an Assistant Professor at Northumbria University, where he works in the NUSTEM outreach group. He also lectures in the Department of Computer & Information Sciences, where his research interests cover formal and informal learning in computer science, tinkering and making approaches, and family engagement. In a previous life he was a film-maker. Claims that he once crashed one of the UK's largest supercomputers have never been proven.

Christian Lawson-Perfect is a learning software developer at Newcastle University, and recreational mathematician with eclectic interests. He is involved in countless online maths communication projects, chiefly the maths blog The Aperiodical. He makes mathematical toys and games, usually online but occasionally physical, through 3D printing. Everything he does is collected at somethingorotherwhatever.com.

Laura Taalman is a Professor of Mathematics at James Madison University whose published research has included algebraic geometry, knot theory, and games. Also known as “mathgrrl”, Dr. Taalman is a computational designer who leverages a diverse toolbox of 3D design software and technical materials to create mathematical art. She is a Project NExT Fellow, a recipient of the Alder Award, Trevor Evans Award, and SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award, and has been featured on Thingiverse, Adafruit, and Science Friday.

Hana Ayoob is a science communicator and illustrator who is passionate about bringing people together to explore the world around them through science and art. Hana studied zoology at university and continues to indulge her interest in weird and wonderful animals by drawing and talking about them whenever she gets the chance. Hana has produced illustrations for a range of books, including maths books for children, industry publications, logos and more, and was awarded one of The Big Draw’s artists’ residencies in 2021. She produces and speaks at a range of events, performs science-inspired stand-up comedy, runs creative workshops and provides public engagement and science communication consultancy. Hana is also a co-host of the podcast Why Aren’t You a Doctor Yet?.

Moving graphics can make mathematics more accessible and engaging. From moving constructions in Geogebra and computer-generated animations using software like the MANIM package, to painstaking stop-motion graphics, mathematics in motion can hugely improve videos and live presentations, and allow complex concepts to be simplified and explained. Our panel will share their experiences of generating different types of moving mathematics, and describe how they use it to move their audiences too.

Chaired by Ben Sparks. Panellists:

Grant Sanderson (remote panellist) is the author of the YouTube channel 3Blue1Brown, which focuses on higher mathematics with a distinct visual perspective - including animations and computer-generated graphics - and has over 5 million subscribers. He created the open-source python library manim for creating mathematical visualizations, which has since been used by thousands of others.

Alison Kiddle is a mathematician, educator and maths communicator based in the East of England, who uses Geogebra to create engaging mathematical interactives and visualisations.

Ayliean MacDonald is a freelance mathemactivist and craftamatician based in Scotland, and MathsCity's Community Mathematician for 2023. Her art often focuses on the use of timelapse drawings of patterns and fractals to show growth and progression of sequences which may not be obvious through still images.

Audience researcher Hannah-Rose Ford Tomlinson will share their insights working with and studying different audiences at Manchester's Science and Industry Museum, and discuss how we can define and work with our own audiences.

Hannah-Rose is an Audience Researcher at the Science Museum Group specialising in engaging neurodivergent audiences. She carries out targeted research to understand and advocate for audiences, supporting the development and delivery of galleries, exhibitions, learning resources, programmes, events and activities. Hannah is also a freelance science communicator, presenter, and content developer, and has worked with BBC Bitesize, BBC Teach, and Blue Peter.

Final information for the day and information about the evening's social activities.

Buffet dinner (location TBC) with whole conference, followed by a nominated location for evening socialising (TBC).

A chance to find out about maths outreach and engagement projects and showcase your work. If you are registered for the event, you can submit lightning talks using our Lightning Talk Submission Form.

How about delving into the rooms of Hilbert Hotel filled with the personal belongings of famous mathematicians, or getting lost in a non-Euclidean dream landscape? These are just some of the fascinating research explorations we undertake at MIP.labor, an experimental laboratory for cutting-edge science journalism in mathematics, computer science, and physics. With our fellowships, we enable established and aspiring science journalists to develop journalistic projects in these fields over six or twelve months, incorporating the latest research findings.

The result? Innovative and tailor-made media formats that tackle complex topics, with a special focus on engaging younger audiences. Located at Freie Universität Berlin and founded by Klaus Tschira Stiftung, MIP.labor employs our own unique tools that draw on current and established research in science communication, infused with elements of design thinking and constant adaptation based on new insights. Our work also includes rigorous scientific supervision of format development and evaluation of the projects.

In my talk, I'll be sharing our working methods, providing glimpses into our completed and ongoing research projects, and sparking discussions on the importance of distinctively addressing science communication about the mathematical sciences.

Anna-Maria Hartkopf is an expert in science communication specialising in mathematics. A trained mathematician, she is at the helm of MIP.labor at Freie Universität Berlin. Together with Erin Henning she has edited the Handbook of Mathematical Science Communication. She laid the foundations of her pioneering work to establish the field of “science communication in mathematics” as an academic discipline with her PhD thesis. Her practical experience as a maths communicator includes working at the Mathematical Research Institute Oberwolfach coordinating the IMAGINARY exhibition, being a mathematics teacher at a Berlin comprehensive School and conducting various formats of science journalism and communication.

A chance to find out about maths outreach and engagement projects and showcase your work. This session will include some prize presentations. Details of how to submit lightning talks will be added shortly.

This session will include a presentation from the recipient of the 2023 MEGA Grant, introduced by Stand-up Mathematician Matt Parker.

Four discussion topics split into two parallel rooms.

Parallel Sessions - 2pm-2.45pm

• Room 0: University students and maths outreach (chair: Tamsin Smith)
  Undergraduate and postgraduate university students are a valuable resource to maths communication, and many who start doing outreach at uni progress on to successful careers in the field. How can those based in universities usefully employ students and involve them in maths outreach, and what opportunities are available to students to develop their skills?
• Room 1: Maths communication as a cultural endeavour (chair: Hana Ayoob)
  Much of mathematical outreach takes the form of enrichment or education-adjacent activities for kids. But is it our repsonsibility as communicators to promote maths beyond this, creating a space for maths as a cultural endeavour and providing opportunities for adults to engage too? What kind of events already exist in this space, how do we define and approach these audiences, and how can such events be supported?

Parallel Sessions - 2.45pm-3.30pm

• Room 0: Broadening diversity conversations: intersectionality in audiences and practitioners (chair: Sarah Cosgriff)
  Intersectionality concerns the way a person's social and political identities can combine to affect how they experience discrimination and privilege. How can we develop maths communication activities - and build organisations - which are inclusive to people from all backgrounds, and go beyond just talking about gender in diversity conversations?
• Room 1: Careers in maths communication (chair: Takita Bartlett-Lashley)
  Mathematical communicators work in a variety of ways, from full- or part-time freelancers to those working wholly within organisations and those who work on an ad-hoc basis. It can be difficult to negotiate building a career (and working out how to get paid for maths communication activities!) We'll discuss the different routes into a career in maths comm, and what careers look like in this context, as well as sharing tips for building your networks and portfolio, and how to juggle maths communication with other kinds of work.

Join science communicator and illustrator Hana Ayoob for some simple (and less simple!) mathematical drawing tasks, for a relaxing chance to chat with fellow attendees and pick up some activity ideas.

Howie Hua is a math instructor at Fresno State who teaches math to future elementary school teachers. He is passionate about finding ways to humanize the math classroom, listening to how students think about math, and building mathematical confidence in students. In 2019, Howie was named Outstanding Lecturer for the College of Science and Math at his university. Outside of school, Howie likes to play piano, go on walks, make math memes, and make math explainer videos.

Chaim Goodman-Strauss is a mathematician and artist who works in convex geometry, especially aperiodic tiling, and was one of the co-authors on the recent aperiodic tiling discovery. He is on the faculty at the University of Arkansas and is a co-author with John H. Conway and Heidi Burgiel of the book The Symmetries of Things. Chaim was awarded the 2021 Rosenthal Prize for Innovation and Inspiration in Math Teaching, for designing a hands-on classroom activity exploring planar symmetries. He is currently working with MoMath in New York to deliver outreach activities, and creates large-scale sculptures inspired by mathematics which have regularly featured at Gathering 4 Gardner events.

Final information for the day, information about the evening's social activities and the plan for Saturday morning.

Delegates will sign up for dinner in one of a selection of locations with a range of cuisines and price ranges, to split into smaller groups, followed by a nominated location for evening socialising (TBC).

Spend time working with other conference attendees, building networks and engaging in activities. Options (TBC) include a visit to Life, Newcastle's hands-on science centre, a maths puzzle scavenger hunt around Newcastle, board games and craft activities.

For remote attendees, there will be an online space to network, chat, craft and play games.

We'll bring everyone back together for lunch. This will be a final chance to network and discuss how we're going to take forward what we've learned at the event. Location TBC.

Announcements from this session will be streamed to remote attendees, followed by a virtual lunch.