Donna Speed

Deputy Chair of ASDC and CEO of We the Curious

After 6 years working at Alton Towers, I was inspired by the mission of Science Centre’s and joined We The Curious (previously At-Bristol) at the exciting time of its launch in 2000. I feel incredibly privileged to have been part of the journey at We the Curious and its fantastic work, every step of the way. My day-to-day involves leading We The Curious and developing the strategic direction for the organisation, which is implemented by our brilliant teams. In addition to her role at We The Curious she sits on a number of boards including; Bristol City Council's International Strategy Board, Business and Management advisory board for UWE and the National Trust Collections and Interpretation Advisory Group.

Manifesto:

My reason for joining the ASDC Board is that, in the time I have worked in the Science Centre sector, I believe there has never been a greater need for science and discovery!

We, as a sector, have often focussed on the benefits for the science and engineering industry, and educational benefits. However, as the Teach First statistics show, education equality is going in the wrong direction – 15% of the poorest pupils fail to pass all three sciences, compared to 5% of the richest pupils. This together with teachers reporting difficulties in teaching the ever squeezed curriculum, shows that as charities, it is our civic responsibility to exist and thrive.

There is also a social impact – the experiences we design bring people together. People of different ages from different communities, people with different interests and types of knowledge. At a time when people are feeling more isolated, opinions are presented as more polarised, people are spending less time together and more time on their screens – our venues take on even more significance.

We aim to raise awareness of science and demonstrate its importance to everyday life. With the stark reality presented in the IPCC report and in an era of fake news, science is relevant and essential. The collective coming together of different voices to solve a problem is what will solve the big and ‘wicked’ problems we face.

What I bring:

  • 20 years of Science Centre operational and strategic experience
  • A passion for inclusion and cross discipline connection
  • A champion of visitor and non-visitors voices informing our direction