Scientists in residence – What’s the point of stepping out of the laboratory?

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Scientists in residence – What’s the point of stepping out of the laboratory?

Author: Eleanor S. Armstrong – University College London, United Kingdom

Artists in Residence (AIR) schemes proliferated in the early 1900s, allowing artists time and space away from their usual obligations within other organisations. Along with the rise in cultural influence of sciences came a rise in artists being resident in scientific institutions from the late 1990s onwards. This provided an alternative lens for artists, scientists and the public to see the scientific research through than more traditional, scientist-lead outreach. Such host institutions included universities (eg. UCL, University of Oxford) and research institutions (eg. CERN).

More recently the framework of residences has been reversed, and scientists have been in residence in artistic institutions as Scientists in Residence (SIR). However, little work has been done to understand the purpose of the SIR, or the benefits of the SIR scheme to artists, scientists, institutions, and the public may be. Utilising two detailed case studies: Prof. Nicky Clayton’s residency at Rambert Ballet, and Dr. Daniel Glaser’s residency at the Institute of Contemporary Art; as well as supporting evidence from surveys with other SIR and information from the Gluon Foundation; this presentation will explore if we can understand the SIR as a mode of science communication to a cultural audience.

By using theories that interrogate the purpose of AIR in scientific institutions, and science communication theories including the Science Capital framework, this presentation will discuss what can illuminated about SIR and their role in sharing science to the public by repurposing these frameworks. Preliminary analysis indicates that outcomes of the SIR are different relative to what the aims and outcomes of AIR are in science institutions. These differences will be examined and discussed. This presentation will discuss to what extent the findings are a function of the type of institutions and scientists currently involved and who form the cohort for this analysis in a SIR schemes.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Individual paper
Theme: Stories
Area of interest: nvestigating science communication practices

Examining the intersection of art-science and science communication

Author: Eleanor S. Armstrong – University College London, United Kingdom

Co-author: Charles Ogilvie

Art-Science work, as seen in texts such as ‘Art + Science Now’, ‘Colliding Worlds’ and ‘The Practice of Art and Science’, or exhibitions at the Wellcome Collection, Ars Electronica or the Sci Art Centre NY, engages artists and scientists and often results in a public display of pieces produced through these collaborations. However, in some collaborations between artists and scientists there appears to be a strong ‘outreach’ or ‘science communication’ aspect to these programmes, whereas in others there is a significantly greater element of the product being a stand-alone piece of art unintended as science communication.

This session will address and discuss critically if there is a distinction between art-science projects and science communication, and if so what this is and how it describes or defines the intersection of the two fields. By use of contrasting case studies from the realms of science communication and art-science, including their documentation, and interviews with those involved, and conducting side by side analysis of these pieces and their gensis and the way the participants work together, we will explore whether the two labels effectively address the range of projects they are used to describe.

This forms part of ongoing work on the topology of art-science and how this can inform science communication by the authors.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Idea in progress
Theme: Science
Area of interest: Building a theoretical basis for science communication

Creative reactions – pint of science: Using art to explore science in London

Author: Eleanor S. Armstrong – University College London, United Kingdom

Co-authors:
Aaron Jones
Michael Motskin
Praveen Paul
Samuel Wigfield

Pint of Science is an award winning non-profit organisation that brings some of the most brilliant scientists to local pubs to discuss their latest research and findings with the public. The festival runs over a few days in May every year, and occasionally runs events during other months of the year. Since 2016 London has hosted a ‘Creative Reactions’ branch of Pint of Science, which pairs artists and scientists who share research interests and leaves them to work together for at least six months, a process that culminates in an exhibition and talks during the Pint of Science Festival annually in May.

This talk will discuss what Creative Reactions is by showing the audience what happened at the 2016 and 2017 events; and will explore why it is valuable to the London event ecosystem, to audiences of the event, and to those participating in the Creative Reactions project. This talk will also evaluate the project against it’s own aims, against the framework of Pint of Science, and in the context of the audience and the participants. Finally this talk will consider what Creative Reactions contributes to research into and applications of science communication and art-science theory. To do this we draw on existing science communication and art-science literature to contextualise Creative Reactions and open the discussion. We’ll be dwelling on the importance of recognising the cultural landscape in London in developing Creative Reactions and how the Creative Reactions premise differentiates itself from other events and the advantages and disadvantages therein with the publics. The talk will allow others to utilise the Creative Reactions method, and understand how similar events might aid science communicators.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Show, tell and talk
Theme: Science
Area of interest: Investigating science communication practices

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