The Royal Institution is set to host this year’s ‘Ada Lovelace Day’ as an in-person event, it was announced today.
Having faced an uncertain future it was possible that Ada Lovelace Day (ALD) – the annual celebration of women’s contribution to STEM named after the Victorian mathematician who is widely regarded as the first computer-programmer – may have ended after 14 successful years.
Now, the event will be hosted by the Ri on the evening of Tuesday 10 October, due to its clear alignment with the independent charity’s mission to bring scientists and the public together.
In making today’s announcement, ALD founder Suw Charman-Anderson said: “One year ago, I thought that Ada Lovelace Day was over due to a lack of funding. But with the support of our host, the Royal Institution, I am thrilled to say that we’re bringing it back. As ALD fits so well with the Ri’s charitable mission and thanks to the generosity of our media partner Stylist and sponsors Digital Science, Redgate and dxw, our fun and inspiring ‘science cabaret’ will take to the stage once more.
“I launched Ada Lovelace Day in 2009 because I felt passionately that we needed a way to celebrate and highlight women’s work and achievements in STEM, which frequently don’t get the recognition they deserve. This year’s event will be our 15th and it’s fitting that we’ll be holding it at the Royal Institution, the home of science.”
Director of the Royal Institution, Katherine Mathieson, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting this year’s Ada Lovelace event at the Royal Institution.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming a wide range of people on the day, in-person and online, to meet and celebrate some inspirational women working in computing and technology. It’s a perfect fit for our mission of bringing people and scientists together to celebrate their interest and passion for science. We're a home for science and everyone is welcome.”
Supported by media partner Stylist, and sponsors Digital Science, Redgate and dwx, ALD 2023 will feature seven fascinating speakers from across science, technology, engineering and maths, in a fascinating and entertaining evening in the Ri’s iconic Theatre. Highlighting the ground-breaking work and research being done by women, through their experiences, expertise and stories, the evening at the Ri is designed to inspire and empower the next generation of scientists.
More details of Ada Lovelace Day 2023 are set out in Suw Charman-Anderson’s blog on findingada.com and you can sign up to the ALD newsletter.