Outreach, Culture & Education SIG 2026
25 November @ 09:00 – 26 November @ 16:00
Outreach, Culture & Education SIG
This Outreach, Culture & Education SIG is designed to bring people together through learning, engagement, and sharing. This year marks a change of direction where we’re broadening our group’s remit beyond outreach, to education and culture too, and we’d value your help shaping what it becomes.
The event takes place across two distinct days, each with its own focus, format, and activities. The first day will take place at the new RES Headquarters, an exciting opportunity for attendees to explore the new space, including our library and rare books collection.
Whether you’re an experienced entomologist, a teacher or lecturer bringing insects into the classroom, or an artist drawn to their form, there’s a place for you here! If you’ve got a research project, a success story, or an problem or solution you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you. Please complete the call for abstracts form below by Friday 16 October (talks and posters for day 1 only).
Attendees can choose to attend for both days or just one.
Learn more about our Outreach, Culture & Education Special Interest Group: Outreach, Culture & Education – Royal Entomological Society
Day 1: Outreach, Culture & Education SIG Meeting
Date: Wednesday 25 November, timings TBC
Venue: New RES Head Quarters, Wenlock Road, Old Street, London
Keynotes
Olivia Knapton, King’s College London
Framings of Insects in Discourse and their Effects on Urban Public Perceptions
The Framings of Insects in Discourse and their Effects on Urban Public Perceptions project is a three-year, Leverhulme Trust-funded research project running September 26 – August 29. It combines linguistics and psychology to investigate how different ways of communicating about insects affect public perceptions, attitudes and intentions to engage in insect conservation within urban environments in the UK.
This talk discusses the aims, methods and ways that the project can make a meaningful contribution to insect outreach.
Dr Olivia Knapton is Senior Lecturer in Linguistics in the Centre for Language, Discourse & Communication (within the School of Education, Communication & Society) at King’s College London. She is a qualitative discourse analyst whose research focuses on the relationship between the linguistic structures used to communicate information about environmental issues, public perceptions/understandings of those issues and public motivations to engage in any recommended actions. Olivia also has interests in how language shapes relationships between humans and non-human animals, for example, she has researched the linguistic structures used by people with insect and bug phobias when talking about their feared animal. Olivia is PI of the Leverhulme Trust-funded project, Framings of Insects in Discourse and their Effects on Urban Public Perceptions (www.insectframings.co.uk)
Carim Nahaboo
Insect Illustration draw-along
Carim Nahaboo is a natural history artist specialising in entomology. From a fascination with insects at an early age the passion grew into a career and illustrations now span children’s books, field guides, taxonomic papers, identification keys and fine art, all in the name of capturing the real world beauty and detail of insects. All work is traditionally hand drawn using ink and coloured pencil, with occasional acrylic paintings.
Learn about the process, materials and techniques that Carim Nahaboo uses, following along to work on illustrations of your own. We will be working from specimens and example artwork. No prior illustration experience necessary, but if you are already familiar with working in ink and coloured pencil, this would be perfect to focus those skills on insect subjects.
Day 2: Insects & Culture – a reflection on the beauty and aesthetic potential of the Hymenopteran
Behind the scenes tour at the Natural History Museum
Date: Thursday 26 November, 10:00 – 16:00
Venue: Natural History Museum (Neil Chalmers Lecture Theatre), London
Day 2 will comprise a morning of short talks followed by an afternoon tour of the Hymenoptera collections. Entomologists from the museum will introduce the complexity and diversity of this group of insects and artists will offer presentations on their interpretations of bees, ants and wasps.  Speakers include:
- Rhea Thierstein, Artist
- Louisa Crispin, Artist
- John Walters, Artist/Ecologist
- Gavin Broad, Natural History Museum
This is an opportunity for entomologist to interact with artists and for artists to be inspired by this fascinating group.
The event will be capped at 30 to ensure everyone is able to attend a behind the scenes tour.
Please note that refreshments and lunch will not be provided on Day 2 but there will be an opportunity to purchase refreshments from the museum café, or delegates are welcome to bring lunch with them.
Registration
Note: By registering for and attending this event, you acknowledge that photographs and/or video recordings may be taken. These images may be used by the Royal Entomological Society for promotional, educational, and archival purposes, including publication on our website, social media, and printed materials. If you do not wish to be photographed or filmed, please inform a member of the organising team on arrival or contact us in advance at events@royensoc.co.uk.
Registration Deadline: 17:00 (BST), Friday 13 November
| Day 1 ONLY: Outreach, Culture & Education SIG | |
| RES Student | £30 |
| RES Member | £60 |
| RES Associate Member or Non Member | £100 |
| Day 2 ONLY: Insects & Culture (please note there will be no lunch/refreshments on day 2) | |
| RES Student | £5 |
| RES Member | £10 |
| RES Associate Member or Non Member | £15 |
| Both Days – Full Conference | |
| RES Student | £35 |
| RES Member | £70 |
| RES Associate Member or Non Member | £115 |
