Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Paul Marden.

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Show references:

https://litlablondon.wixsite.com/lit-laboratory

https://www.instagram.com/litlablondon/

https://www.threads.net/@litlablondon

https://www.linkedin.com/company/litlablondon/

https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Lit-Lab/100090991921959/

Abi Fafolu has a Master’s degree in Bioengineering from Imperial College, and over 7 years’ experience in public engagement with science. She spent her early career in science engagement, including on the Science Desk of The Guardian Observer and promoting open-access publishing at the European Medical Journal and Springer Nature.

Since joining the UK government in 2015, she’s worked in strategy, policy and programmes across four government departments including the Office of the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor, Lord Patrick Valance, upholding the role of science and evidence in decision making, and promoting developments in science as a Press Officer to the UK Science Minister. Abi is currently a government policy and strategy maker, and runs the Lit Laboratory (Lab), a "Science and Sip” experience reconnecting underrepresented audiences aged 21 to 40 with science.

Transcription: 

Paul Marden:  Welcome to Skip the Queue. A podcast for people working in and working with visitor attractions. I'm your host, Paul Marden. 

Paul Marden:  In today’s episode I’m joined by Abi Fafolu, Founder of The Lit Lab. Abi has a Master’s degree in Bioengineering from Imperial College, and over 7 years’ experience in public engagement with science.

Since joining the UK government in 2015, she’s worked in strategy, policy and programmes across four government departments. She currently a government policy and strategy maker, and runs the Lit Laboratory, a "Science and Sip” experience reconnecting underrepresented audiences aged 21 to 40 with science.

Unfortunately the internet wasn’t kind to us when we recorded this conversation, and so the audio quality isn’t great, but the conversation definitely was.

Paul Marden:Welcome, Abi. Welcome to Skip the Queue.

Abi Fafolu: Thanks, Paul. Thanks for having me. 

Paul Marden: Lovely to have you. Today's a little bit weird because we're recording this just before Christmas, but it's not actually going to go out until the new year. So what I'm going to say is happy New Year to you. I hope you've had a lovely Christmas, but the reality is we haven't had it yet. So strange. 

Abi Fafolu: Thank you and likewise. 

Paul Marden:So we always start our interviews with some icebreaker questions which you're never prepared for. So here goes nothing. I've got a couple for you. I think they're quite nice ones actually. What's your go to coffee order when you go to a coffee shop of your choice? 

Abi Fafolu: Embarrassingly, I saw a skit about this recently where I thought that I had a unique choice, but clearly I've been very moth by the Internet. It is a skinny flat white and the skit that I saw actually was people ordering hot chocolate, which has gone extinct in coffee shops. I think there were a few people doing kind of hot chocolate watching. They were seeing where the people would order hot chocolates and have the binoculars out to watch those people as they made that rare order in the shop. But no, mine is very common. It's a skinny flat white. 

Paul Marden: Yeah. So mine is just a normal straight up flat white. No nonsense, no fuss, just give me coffee. I just want a nice coffee. My daughter, her order, she's only 11, but she's taken to iced hot chocolate. But what do you call it? Is it iced chocolate like an iced coffee or is it iced hot chocolate? I always stumble over the order and it's never up on the menu. So I always feel a bit awkward asking for whatever it is that she wants. 

Abi Fafolu: I like that. 

Paul Marden: Yeah. Okay, next one. What animal do you think best represents your personality? 

Abi Fafolu: Oh, gosh, I'm probably like a reliable owl or something like that. Yeah. Kind of cosy in my tree when I feel like it, being a bit nosy and flying out to have a look at what's going on. 

Paul Marden: And every now and again savage on little animals. 

Abi Fafolu: Oh. I mean, maybe a bit of that, probably. But yeah, I think something like that. 

Paul Marden: Okay. I think mine would have to be one of those, one of those dogs that is really annoying and full of energy because I'm just, I'm always at like full power. I'm one of two extremes. I'm going full at it. Yeah, I'm just zonked out, shattered at the end. Yeah. 

Abi Fafolu: Okay. 

Paul Marden: So I'd probably be like a springer spaniel where loads of walking is necessary to get rid of all the energy. Otherwise I'll be really annoyed.

Abi Fafolu: Got you. A little dog who doesn't know that they're little and springs out into the world. 

Paul Marden:I'm sure there's something Freudian about that. I'm not sure. So we are talking a little bit about your project called the Lit Lab today which as listeners will know I always have a little chat with people before we do the interview and you know, I'm really interested in this concept, the tagline that you talked about which was the idea of getting adults to drink in a Science lab. We first met at the Association of Science and Discovery Centres and you know, we had a lovely conversation whilst were at the ASDC conference and I found out a little bit more about Lit Lab. But I think before we get to that point let's just talk a little bit about you and your background. So tell us about you. Tell us about your background and maybe a little bit about day job. 

Abi Fafolu: Yes, of course. So I am a Scientist by training. I have a Master's degree in Bioengineering from Imperial College and about 7 years experience in public engagement with Science. So that has looked like working on the Science desk of the observer newspaper, publishing medical research at Spring and Nature, working with the Chief Scientific Advisor and in government and with the Science Minister as well doing kind of comms and press releases. At the moment I work in strategies by working thinking about where my organisation wants to get to and how we do that. And for me I think it probably brings together a lot of the skills and interests I have. 

Abi Fafolu: It's really about kind of seeing that bigger picture and wondering how things come together and wondering what things will be different and kind of looking at the evidence and friends and things that are going on that help to paint a picture actually of kind of what the options are and gives you a sense of what's possible. So I think there's a thread really through my kind of career history which is a lot about being nosy and having that kind of owl sand view of the world. And yeah, I think my kind of interest and passion in and Science has also kind of given me a lot as well in the subject and things that have piqued my interest. 

Paul Marden: I think it's such an interesting opportunity for you to being in public policy and Science within government over the last few years. It's a really interesting perspective and it's the kind of career that no kid at school would ever dream is a career. Yeah. You know, kids at school can imagine being a chemist or a biologist, they can relate to that. But the idea that Science exists at the heart of government and influences everything the government does is not something that your average kid would think about doing. So how do you end up falling into a role like that? 

Abi Fafolu: Yeah, well, I mean, I suppose my reflection on what you've just said is sort of. So I think f