{{Short description|International series of comedy events}} {{EngvarB|date=December 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2013}} [[File:Lucy Porter Bright Club 1.jpg|thumb|Comedian Lucy Porter at Bright Club London in 2011]] '''Bright Club''' is a collection of comedy-club-style events in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia promoting public engagement by scientists, academics and others with specialist knowledge. It has been described by ''The Guardian'' as "a 'thinking person's' comedy night",<ref name=Guardian1>{{cite news |title=Academics encouraged to share work with the public |author=Anthea Lipsett |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2010/dec/07/academics-public-engagement-comedy |newspaper=The Guardian |date=7 December 2010 |access-date=9 December 2010}}</ref> and by ''Londonist'' as "where funny meets brains".<ref name=Londonist>{{cite news |title=Comedy Review: Bright Club @ Bloomsbury Theatre |author=Rachel H |url=http://londonist.com/2010/10/review_bright_club_bloomsbury_theat.php |newspaper=Londonist |date=28 October 2010 |access-date=9 December 2010}}</ref>
==Format== [[File:Lucie Green at Bright Club London.jpg|thumb|Solar physicist Lucie Green talking at Bright Club London in 2011]]
Every event has a number of speakers, normally university researchers, each of whom gives a short, funny talk related to their area of knowledge and a theme for the night. There is a compere, and usually musicians play a set halfway through and at the end of the evening.<ref name=THE>{{cite news |title=Ionic, isn't it? |author=Matthew Reisz |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=417805 |newspaper=Times Higher Education |date=20 October 2011 |access-date=28 September 2012}}</ref>
==Development== Bright Club started at University College London as the brainchild of Steve Cross and Miriam Miller.<ref name=Gaurdian2>{{cite news |title=Laugh and learn at Bright Club |author=Carole Jahme |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/nov/04/laugh-learn-science-bright-club |newspaper=The Guardian |date=4 November 2010 |access-date=9 December 2010}}</ref> The first event was held in May 2009 and a Bright Club now happens in London once a month.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news |title=Academics Making Forays Into Stand-Up Comedy |author=D. D. Guttenplan |author-link=D. D. Guttenplan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/20/world/europe/20iht-educLede20.html?_r=1/ |newspaper=The New York Times |date=19 December 2010 |access-date=24 February 2011}}</ref> Bright Club Manchester held its first event in May 2010 and now hosts events every few months. Bright Club Wales held its first event, in Cardiff, in November 2010.<ref>{{cite news |title=New comedy night Bright Club hopes to banish nerdy notions |author=David Owens |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/theatre-in-wales/2010/11/27/new-comedy-night-bright-club-hopes-to-banish-nerdy-notions-91466-27724215/ |newspaper=South Wales Echo |date=27 November 2010 |access-date=9 December 2010}}</ref>
The Centre for Life in Newcastle upon Tyne launched their first Bright Club in July 2011, hosted by their Comedian in Residence, Helen Keen. Two more were held during 2011 and the events will continue into 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business-news/science-and-technology/2011/09/22/smart-people-bringing-their-work-to-the-stage-51140-29464870/ |title= Newcastle Journal article about Bright Club, Sept 2011}}</ref>
Bright Club Edinburgh launched during the Edinburgh Festival with a show on the BBC@Potterrow stage on 24 August 2011 following a preview gig on 26 July.<ref>Bright Club Edinburgh comprehensively launched https://brightclubedinburgh.blogspot.com/2011/08/bright-club-edinburgh-comprehensively.html</ref> Regular shows take place at the Stand Comedy Club.
Bright Club Glasgow was launched on 17 November 2011 at The Admiral Bar. In 2012, Bright Club participated in Glasgow International Comedy Festival<ref>{{cite news|title=Bright Club injects some spark into Glasgow Comedy Festival|url=http://entertainment.stv.tv/onstage/301051-bright-club-injects-some-spark-into-glasgow-comedy-festival/|newspaper=STV News|date=26 March 2012}}</ref> and shows were also included in the programme for Glasgow Science Festival. Regular shows take place at The Stand Comedy Club.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bright Club Glasgow|url=http://www.brightclubglasgow.org|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130718000009/http://www.brightclubglasgow.org/|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 July 2013|publisher=Bright Club Glasgow}}</ref>
There has been a one-off Bright Club in Brighton<ref>{{cite news |title=Bright Club at the 2010 Brighton Fringe |author=Steve Bennett |url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/shows/misc_live_shows/b/17908/bright_club/review |newspaper=Chortle |date=15 May 2010 |access-date=9 December 2010}}</ref> and a small number of 500-seater Bright Clubs in the Bloomsbury Theatre.<ref name=Guardian1/><ref name=Londonist/><ref name=NYT/>
Steve Cross won the Joshua Phillips award for innovation in science engagement in a ceremony at the Manchester Science Festival in October 2010.<ref>{{cite news |title=Comic communicator wins science award |url=https://manchestersciencefestival.blogspot.com/2010/10/comic-communicator-wins-science-award.html |newspaper=Manchester Science Festival blog |date=21 October 2010 |access-date=9 December 2010}}</ref>
Bright Club Bristol began in September 2011<ref>{{cite web |title=Bright Club Bristol #1 - The First Time |url=https://brightclubbristol.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/bright-club-bristol-1-the-first-time/ |work=Bright Club Bristol |date=27 September 2011 |access-date= 3 April 2013}}</ref> and operates on a quarterly basis. It is produced by Sounds of Science<ref>{{ cite web | title= Sounds of Science work| publisher=Sounds of Science | url= http://sciencepodcasts.wordpress.com/work/ | access-date=3 April 2013 }}</ref> team who created Geek Pop.
Bright Clubs have also been held in Australia. Bright Club events were held in Sydney in January 2012 as part of the 2012 Sydney Festival<ref>{{cite web | title=Bright Club No. 1 | publisher=Sydney Festival | url=http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2012/Talks/Bright-Club-No1/ | access-date=3 April 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412192516/http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2012/Talks/Bright-Club-No1/ | archive-date=12 April 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and Bright Club Melbourne started in April 2013. The first Bright Club Melbourne event was part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and took place in the Howard Florey Institute.<ref>{{ cite web | title=Brains Collide | publisher=Melbourne International Comedy Festival | url=http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2013/season/shows/brains-collide-thinky-stuff | access-date=3 April 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323192213/http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2013/season/shows/brains-collide-thinky-stuff | archive-date=23 March 2013 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>
[https://brightcluboxford.blogspot.co.uk/ Bright Club Oxford] began in October 2013, running three times a year at the Jericho Tavern pub.
Bright Club St Andrews began in February 2014,<ref>{{cite web| title = Bright Club St Andrews| url = http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/pgstudents/stleonards/community/news/title,241223,en.php| access-date = 11 Feb 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150211163451/http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/pgstudents/stleonards/community/news/title,241223,en.php| archive-date = 11 February 2015| url-status = dead}}</ref> running bimonthly during university term time.
Bright Club events have been running in Ireland since 2015.<ref>{{cite news |title=The first rule of Bright Club is you have to make science funny |author=Claire O'Connell |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/the-first-rule-of-bright-club-is-you-have-to-make-science-funny-1.2077397 |newspaper=Irish Times |date=29 Jan 2015 |access-date=5 February 2015}}</ref> Shows take place in Dublin, Galway, Cork and other locations,<ref>{{cite web| title = Bright Club Ireland| publisher=Bright Club Ireland| url = http://brightclub.ie/| access-date = 12 May 2020}}</ref> and are centrally coordinated by director Jessamyn Fairfield.<ref>{{cite news |title=Scientist who sees funny side of physics wins Somerville medal|author=Kevin O'Sullivan|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/scientist-who-sees-funny-side-of-physics-wins-somerville-medal-1.3149926|newspaper=Irish Times |date=11 Jul 2017 |access-date=24 Nov 2017}}</ref>
==References== {{Commons category|Bright Club}} {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
Category:Comedy clubs in the United Kingdom Category:Organised events in London Category:Culture in Manchester Category:Culture in Cardiff