ScotPEN Annual Gathering 2025
On April 30th, the ScotPEN Annual Gathering 2025 brought together an inspiring and diverse community of public engagement professionals, researchers, and creative practitioners at the University of Dundee. The day was a vibrant celebration of Scotland’s public engagement landscape, full of thought-provoking conversations, inclusive practices, and connections.
The morning began with warm welcomes from Anna Grey (Director of Research and Innovation Services at the University of Dundee) and ScotPEN Chair Faye Watson. They set the tone for a collaborative and energising day, emphasising the importance of community and creativity in shaping the future of engagement in Scotland. They reflected on the challenging landscape of the higher education sector and why connecting and supporting one another is so crucial.
The day’s first session explored the question ‘What does AI mean for public engagement?’. Chaired by Nicola Osborne (University of Edinburgh), the hybrid panel featured Prof Angela Daly (University of Dundee), Dr Abd Alsattar Ardati (University of St Andrews), and Theodore Koterwas (University of Edinburgh). The session sparked a lively discussion about the opportunities and ethical challenges of artificial intelligence, particularly in how we communicate complex ideas and build trust with diverse audiences. The conversation highlighted the need to keep people - their voices, values, and vulnerabilities - at the heart of our engagement practice as technology rapidly evolves.
After a short break, attendees were treated to the Scotland Public Engagement Showcase, hosted by Ali Floyd (University of Dundee). Ali started the session with a quick warm-up activity to wake everyone up after the break, which put a smile on everyone's face! This session highlighted inspiring examples of engagement projects from across the country. This included themes around engaging with marginalised communities, schools and how to build ethical community-led research networks.
Following the Showcase, the group moved upstairs to a networking session led by Susan Grant (University of Glasgow). This session followed the principles of an Open Space, a methodology for large group meetings where participants self-organise. It's guided by four principles and one law: "Whoever comes is the right people," "Whenever it starts is the right time," "Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened," "When it's over, it's over," and "The Law of Two Feet". This law gave people the power to stand up and walk away from a table/conversation to contribute elsewhere. The room was full of lively discussion and sharing of ideas and practice, and was a perfect springboard for more conversation after lunch (or an impromptu lunch-time tour of the local facilities, or even over an ice cream).
The afternoon resumed with Maddy Foard (NCCPE) introducing the new ScotPEN/NCCPE partnership. This collaboration promises to strengthen Scotland’s links with the UK-wide public engagement landscape and provide new opportunities for shared learning and support.
Accessibility was the focus of the next session, led by Claire D’All from Euan’s Guide. Claire offered a compelling and practical insight into how public events can be more inclusive. This included a practical session where attendees got the opportunity to use pre-prepared scenarios to brainstorm accessibility plans. Her insights challenged attendees to rethink what accessibility really means and how to embed it from the start of every project.
Later in the day, Art at the Start, presented by Dr Josephine Ross and Dr Vicky Armstrong (University of Dundee), explored the intersections between art, science, and early years development. Through a mix of research and practice, they showed how creative engagement can support mental health, family bonding, and early learning, underlining the value and potential of interdisciplinary work. Attendees also had the opportunity to create their own piece of art to represent the values we bring into our engagement practice. Each person was then encouraged to add their piece to a ScotPEN wall of values.
The Gathering closed with reflections from Jon Urch and Fiona Murray from the Annual Gathering Ideas Group, who echoed the sense of optimism and momentum that had built throughout the day. The group then enjoyed a drink in the sun at a local pub before heading home.
The ScotPEN Annual Gathering 2025 reminded us that public engagement is evolving and it’s more important than ever to embrace new tools, broaden communities, and deepen values. And at its heart, engagement remains about people coming together to share, learn, and imagine a better future.
