Scientific and cultural institutions worldwide have traditionally focused on knowledge creation and production. But what then? How do you engage the ‘general public’ with all your excellent knowledge? And how do you share that knowledge to create a scientifically literate society ready to tackle the world’s biggest challenges?

This presentation explores the evolution of approaches to engaging people with science and culture. Starting with a quick trip through the potted histories of cabinets of curiosities, World Fairs, museums, and finally landing on the Science Gallery approach, this talk illustrates some of the complexities at play when we invite people into our hallowed halls to see ‘the thing’ and illuminate how we can transform relations between science research and communication practice.

Science Gallery Melbourne (SGM) is opening in 2020 with the aim of blurring the boundaries between science, art, design, technology, maths and engineering. We’ve broken all the rules and instead embed our target audience, young people aged 15-25, into every aspect of our approach: idea generation, exhibition planning, work selection, promotion and in-gallery engagement.

What happens when you connect and involve young people in the creation of a new gallery? This presentation challenges the traditional narrative about who’s opinion matters, how to engage young people in important issues and what makes a transformational experience.

Join this talk to discover the transformations that take place with visitors, the young people involved, and the olde-timey-staff (anyone aged 25+). Learn how Science Gallery embed young people in every stage of the process and how to do it. Memberships will be available for the Science Gallery cult at this session – Join us!

Presenter

Tilly Boleyn, Curator, Science Gallery Melbourne

When: Tuesday 18^th February, 11:15am-12:15pm

Where: Room G02, Learning and Teaching Building, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton
Hashtag: TBC

Audio forms of science communication are extremely varied and have a range of applications – music, both traditional and created using new technologies, and sound, such as audio captured in the field or complex communication soundscapes, can be used in performances, documentaries, podcasts, apps, and live presentations. The ability to use sound and music represents a novel and effective skill that science communicators can add to their tool-kits.

This interactive presentation will provide participants with an introduction to capturing and using sounds, as well as making music that can be used in their science communication practice. It will cover the following:

-Why music?
– How can music improve science communication?
– What makes a good piece of music for science communication and why?
– The fundamentals of music making
– What’s music anyway?
– The key elements of a piece of music
– The creative process
– Creativity hacks to get your juices flowing
– How to make it?
– What devices can you use
– An introduction to some of the best apps
– How to apply it
– Ways to incorporate it into your practice

Presenter

Michael Helman, Director, Communicatrium

When: Monday 17^th February, 12:00pm-1:00pm

Where: TBC
Hashtag: TBC

In today’s ‘post-truth’ knowledge economy, information is not only on speed dial, but is dialling you. Access to news and (mis)information is instantaneous. The ability to critically evaluate the relevance, accuracy and utility of information from many diverse sources is rapidly becoming a powerful currency, especially given limited time to fact-check and the changing nature of ‘experts’.

This is the world from which we cannot buffer children, but for which we must equip them with the mindset, skills and tenacity to thrive. This starts early in life. And it starts with play.

When an individual’s curiosity is the basis of their learning and understanding of how the world works (SCIENCE!), they will be continuously challenging and revising their beliefs to fit the evidence of their own investigations. Thus, encouraging play in a science centre, museum or public space helps develop individual’s confidence and trust in “this glorious way of knowing we call science.”

Adam and Kirsti will provide examples of learning through play experiences that promote higher understanding and spark participants’ curiosity. They will showcase areas where individuals’ assumptions are challenged, and how they may comfortably accommodate changing their ideas to fit new, more comprehensive information. These types of experiences in science centres, museums and galleries can better prepare visitors to accept science as a self-correcting way of knowing, and that even long-accepted facts may continuously be challenged.

Presenter

Kirsti Abbott, Program Leader – UNE Discovery, University of New England

Adam Selinger, Executive Director, Children’s Discovery Museum Ltd

When: Tuesday 18th February, 2:00pm-3:30pm

Where: Room G01, Learning and Teaching Building, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton
Hashtag: TBC

Forgotten heroes of science communication: Maynard Shipley (1872-1934)

Maynard Shipley was born in Baltimore in 1872, one in a family of ten children. He managed to become a scholar with little formal education. He educated himself through hard study after work; he worked in a variety of jobs from acting to teaching the piano, to working as a retail shoe clerk. He was a mature student at the University of California (Stanford) for about a year, but never obtained formal qualifications.

In 1898, his interest in science began and he formed a discussion group called the Seattle Academy of Sciences and began lecturing in science. In 1904 he started a boarding school for boys which continued for only two years. At this time, he joined the Socialist Party and became a close friend of Eugene Debs, the Socialist Presidential candidate.

In 1920, he was the unsuccessful socialist candidate for Congress in Alameda County, California. His living from 1922 onwards depended on his lectures on astronomy and evolution, his writing science articles for newspapers and magazines, producing two long-standing radio programs and writing Little Blue Books for the publisher Emanuel Haldeman-Julius.

His second wife was Miriam Allen deFord, whom he married in 1917 and she was also a successful writer. He founded the Science League of America in 1924. He continued an amazingly active life communicating science through all the means that were available to him at the time until ill-health in 1932 and his death in 1934 brought his efforts to a close.

Presenter

Dr W. P. Palmer,  Retired Science Educator.

When: Monday 17th February, 3:00-3:30
Where: Room G21, Learning and Teaching Building, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton
Hashtag: TBC