‘Meet the Robinsons’ and design a city of the future (11 January 2007)
For immediate release
On the 30th March 2007, Disney is releasing a fantastic new animated adventure, ‘Meet the Robinsons’, about a young inventor named Lewis who embarks on an amazing and hilarious adventure in an extraordinary city of the future. To celebrate the film’s release and National Science and Engineering Week, the BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science) is launching an exciting nationwide competition asking children aged 5-14 to design an eco-friendly city of the future.
From amazing gadgets such as handheld computers and mobile phones that were once the sole prerogative of the likes of James Bond, to the water, gas and electricity that we take for granted, it is almost impossible to consider our lives and the world around us without engineering and technology. And when imagining a city of the future, the sky’s the limit! But how can scientists and engineers now help us live in a way that ensures our planet stays healthy?
Minister for Science and Innovation, Malcolm Wicks, said: ‘As part of National Science and Engineering Week 2007, this competition will help school children understand the huge impact that science, technology and engineering has on all areas of our everyday lives.
‘Climate change will have dramatic impacts during their lifetimes. This competition will enable children to think about how our way of life affects the planet and the solutions that engineering, technology and science could provide. What alternative and sustainable ways could there be to heat and light our homes in the future, for example? How will we cope with rising sea levels? And will transport as we know it change beyond all recognition?’
The most imaginative and innovative future city designs in each age group will win a private screening of ‘Meet The Robinsons’ for their class and the overall winner will win a trip of a lifetime to Disneyland Resort Paris.
Entries must be submitted by Friday 16 February and the winners will be announced during National Science and Engineering Week which will take place between 9-18 March.
National Science and Engineering Week is coordinated by the BA in partnership with the Engineering and Technology Board. It is funded by the Government through the Department of Trade and Industry. Over 660,000 participants are expected to take part in more than 2,000 events throughout the UK.
The BA gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Disney and Buena Vista International for this competition.
For more information on the competition and on National Science and Engineering Week, visit www.the-ba.net/mtr.
For more information on the film please visit www.thefilmfactory.co.uk.
For film images please visit www.image.net.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Lisa Hendry, Press Officer, the BA
Tel: +44 (0)20 7019 4946
Email: lisa.hendry@the-ba.net
Notes for editors
1. The BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science) is the UK's nationwide, open membership organisation that exists to advance the public understanding, accessibility and accountability of the sciences and engineering. Established in 1831, the BA organises major initiatives across the UK, including National Science and Engineering Week, the annual BA Festival of Science, programmes of regional and local events, and an extensive programme for young people in schools and colleges. For more information about the BA, please visit www.the-ba.net.
2. National Science and Engineering Week will take place from 9-18 March 2007. For more information, please visit www.the-ba.net/nsew.
3. About National Science and Engineering Week
5. Disney’s new animated adventure, ‘Meet the Robinsons’, will be released on 30 March 2007.
On the 30th March 2007, Disney is releasing a fantastic new animated adventure, ‘Meet the Robinsons’, about a young inventor named Lewis who embarks on an amazing and hilarious adventure in an extraordinary city of the future. To celebrate the film’s release and National Science and Engineering Week, the BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science) is launching an exciting nationwide competition asking children aged 5-14 to design an eco-friendly city of the future.
From amazing gadgets such as handheld computers and mobile phones that were once the sole prerogative of the likes of James Bond, to the water, gas and electricity that we take for granted, it is almost impossible to consider our lives and the world around us without engineering and technology. And when imagining a city of the future, the sky’s the limit! But how can scientists and engineers now help us live in a way that ensures our planet stays healthy?
Minister for Science and Innovation, Malcolm Wicks, said: ‘As part of National Science and Engineering Week 2007, this competition will help school children understand the huge impact that science, technology and engineering has on all areas of our everyday lives.
‘Climate change will have dramatic impacts during their lifetimes. This competition will enable children to think about how our way of life affects the planet and the solutions that engineering, technology and science could provide. What alternative and sustainable ways could there be to heat and light our homes in the future, for example? How will we cope with rising sea levels? And will transport as we know it change beyond all recognition?’
The most imaginative and innovative future city designs in each age group will win a private screening of ‘Meet The Robinsons’ for their class and the overall winner will win a trip of a lifetime to Disneyland Resort Paris.
Entries must be submitted by Friday 16 February and the winners will be announced during National Science and Engineering Week which will take place between 9-18 March.
National Science and Engineering Week is coordinated by the BA in partnership with the Engineering and Technology Board. It is funded by the Government through the Department of Trade and Industry. Over 660,000 participants are expected to take part in more than 2,000 events throughout the UK.
The BA gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Disney and Buena Vista International for this competition.
For more information on the competition and on National Science and Engineering Week, visit www.the-ba.net/mtr.
For more information on the film please visit www.thefilmfactory.co.uk.
For film images please visit www.image.net.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Lisa Hendry, Press Officer, the BA
Tel: +44 (0)20 7019 4946
Email: lisa.hendry@the-ba.net
Notes for editors
1. The BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science) is the UK's nationwide, open membership organisation that exists to advance the public understanding, accessibility and accountability of the sciences and engineering. Established in 1831, the BA organises major initiatives across the UK, including National Science and Engineering Week, the annual BA Festival of Science, programmes of regional and local events, and an extensive programme for young people in schools and colleges. For more information about the BA, please visit www.the-ba.net.
2. National Science and Engineering Week will take place from 9-18 March 2007. For more information, please visit www.the-ba.net/nsew.
3. About National Science and Engineering Week
- National Science and Engineering Week is coordinated by the BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science).
National Science and Engineering Week is endorsed and supported by the Government through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). - In 2007, the BA is working in partnership with the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB) to broaden the scale and scope of the programme and to celebrate the vital contribution that engineering makes to society.
- Energy and climate change will again be a key focus during the week in 2007, building on the success of the Click for the Climate campaign during last year’s National Science Week.
- During the week, events are organised throughout the UK by a large and varied range of organisations and individuals including hospitals, schools, industry and museums. Venues range from shopping centres to pubs and churches.
- National Science and Engineering Week is aimed at everyone from children and adults to decision-makers and investors and is intended to:
- engage and inspire people of all ages with science and technology and their implications,
- promote discussion and understanding of what science, engineering and technology can and cannot achieve,
- promote knowledge of the scientific method, i.e. how scientists go about their work and reach their conclusions,
- promote science, engineering and technology studies beyond the age of 16, and science, engineering and technology as career options.
- An essential feature of National Science and Engineering Week is the way it takes science to the public rather than waiting for the public to find science. The week has drawn many scientists into the public domain to discuss their work with interested audiences.
- over 2,000 events; from hands-on activities to discussions, tours and online activities
- over 660,000 participants at events
- high level of public awareness
5. Disney’s new animated adventure, ‘Meet the Robinsons’, will be released on 30 March 2007.
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