The Ark Project aims to give children a chance to express their visions of the future and our Role Reverse Conference is a means of achieving this.

This time the audience for the conference will comprise scientists, policy makers, politicians, educators, delegates from the arts world and others and the speakers will be children representing each of the ten primary schools involved.

The conference is a celebration of all that the children, artists and scientists have achieved - a chance to reflect and learn, a time to listen and be inspired, an opportunity to consider our own choices and roles in a low carbon future.

The children, supported by their school scientist and arts partner, will present their responses to the issues they have explored.  These will include their findings from their science investigations as well as performances of their creative work - this will form the beginning of their manifesto for the future and what changes they would like us all to be making.

Representatives from industry and the public sector will also be invited to hear the children's findings and recommendations from their science investigations. They will be asked to work with the children during the coming year to endeavour to implement some of their suggestions and effectively be accountable to each school group.  For example, one school is exploring 'The Journey of a Lunchbox' - looking at issues around food waste, food miles and packaging - so representatives from various supermarkets would be asked to the conference to be answerable to the children.

The conference will include a 'Question Time' style debate where children and others are also able to pose their questions to an invited panel of experts.