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Electric December 2005 - Life in the Frame

Children of the 90s -- also known as The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), is one of the largest long-term health research projects in the world. Based at the University of Bristol, it has followed the health and development of 14,000 children since before birth. These very special young people are now teenagers, and they still come back to Bristol to donate huge amounts of genetic and environmental information to the project, leading to breakthrough research findings in numerous areas – from asthma to autism.

‘Life in the Frame’ was a science and photography summer school run by CitizenScience At-Bristol and attended by 30 young people from ‘Children of the 90s’. After being selected from over 100 entries in a ‘caption writing contest’, the young people attended a three-day event where they worked in teams, together with experts in photography, science and the media, to debate hot science topics such as genetic modification, cloning, and designer babies. They were able to learn how to take artistic and thought-provoking pictures through angle, composition and digital manipulation. They also tested for their own DNA in At-Bristol’s state-of-the-art lab facilities as well as interviewed leading geneticists and debated the impact of controversial issues.

Their goal? To create a selection of photographs that reflected their views on science. This resulted in a physical exhibition on show in At-Bristol’s professional exhibition space. The images that the young people created are displayed to encourage people to think, debate and share their own opinions and views of science.

For those who are unable to view the exhibition in person, At-Bristol’s web programmer has created an online gallery as part of Electric December 2005. Electric December, Watershed's widely acclaimed online digital advent calendar, runs every year with a unique selection of gifts - from games to films, animation to music.

This marks the 7th year of Electric December, and the 7th time that At-Bristol has made a present for you. To see At-Bristol's presents from previous years, visit www.electricdecember.org and look for the archive.

View ‘Life in the Frame’ by visiting www.electricdecember.org
Open from 1st December 2004 - find the At-Bristol / Children of the 90s contribution on day 11.

Life in the Frame

We invite you to have a look at the photos and tell us how they make you feel, what thoughts they inspire and what issues they raise. You’ll be amazed that these images were created by twelve to fourteen year olds. They are a spectacular collection of images: exciting, provocative, introspective and humorous, they excite people, scare them, or really make them think.