Female scientists from Keele University have formed a Stoke-on-Trent branch of ‘Soapbox Science’, an international initiative that aims to encourage young women to consider a career in science.  

The Keele academics will also be joined by researchers from Staffordshire and Birmingham University and will be taking to the streets to deliver bite-size presentations and talk with members of the public about their specialist subjects which include Bio-science, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Engineering.   

Organiser Dr Blana, from Keele University, said: “We want to bring science to the people. It’s about changing people’s perceptions. If you ask somebody to describe a scientist, they all describe a man in a lab coat, and a lot of the time, girls don’t see somebody who looks like a role model.” 

The scientists will be setting up their Soapbox in Hanley on Saturday 6 July, in a bid to tackle these misconceptions. There will be three sessions throughout the day featuring four scientists sharing their range of expertise in a street theatre style to entertain and inform people.      

The newly formed Stoke-on-Trent branch of Soapbox Science will be one of 42 events planned across 14 countries. To find out more visit Soapbox Science website.