THE MINING HISTORY CENTRE

> SCIENTIFIC ENERGY CULTURE CENTRE

One thing visitors often ask at the end of a trip around the Mining History Centre is why we no longer mine coal.

The objective of the Scientific Culture Centre is to bring knowledge on energy issues to the general public, so that we can improve our understanding of the current challenges facing mining and access information about current and future energy sources.
Energy and the issues associated with it are related to the economy, the environment and social conscience. The challenges are not always easy to understand. The Scientific Culture Centre prompts reflection and curiosity and helps us to better understand these subjects and to grasp the challenges involved in them objectively, from a cultural and educational viewpoint, so that we can all adjust our own attitudes to these issues and act as responsible citizens.

The Scientific Culture Centre caters for everyone :
– the general public, with temporary and travelling exhibitions, lectures, publications which makes the issues accessible to laypeople, multi-media formats, various art forms, etc.
– children, with exhibitions, workshops, trails, interactive sessions, etc.
– people with a professional interest, by enabling them to meet and exchange knowledge and questions.

It sets the wheels in motion for reflection on the energy sources which lie at the heart of the development of contemporary society. This work is carried out in close collaboration with scientific, technical and economic specialists, as well as representatives from companies linked to the world of energy.

The Scientific Energy Culture Centre is a partner of the Cité des Sciences (City of Science in Paris). It is also part of the Nord-Pas de Calais regional scientific, technical and industrial culture network, alongside Nature City in Arras, Lille Natural History Museum, the Departmental Science Forum in Villeneuve d’Ascq, Forum Antique archaeological museum in Bavay, Nausicaa in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Avesnois cultural heritage museum, Dunkirk port museum, PLUS (Palace of the Universe and Science at Cappelle-la-Grande), La Coupole at Helfaut-Saint Omer and Pass interactive science museum at Frameries (Belgium).