When: Monday 12th November, 3:55pm – 4:40pm
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #M14
This session will be a participatory crowd sourcing event in which conference attendees will nominate a problem, and the conference will crowd source a solution, using the combined knowledge and experience of participants.
Craig Cormick, Science Communicator and writer
When: Monday 12th November, 10:25am – 11:25am
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #M4
The stories around us regarding climate change are shocking and both the concerned public and scientists are exhausted. Every day there is a new petition to sign, a plea for a donation for campaigning and another set of terrible statistics. Talk to lay people and their eyes glaze over, talk to friends within environmental communications they can finish the story for you. So how can we re-engage ourselves and those around us? Does art and storytelling have a further role to play in reconnecting a fatigued public who want to act but can’t bear the tidal wave of bad news? This discussion with science and activist communicators will look at how new formats might help us include and engage those who are running out of steam. We’ll discuss new digital and social trends including podcasting and citizen storytelling and how broadcasting is remaking itself, alongside the use of performance and installation arts to help us colour in shades of grey and provoke emotive responses. And we will consider how to break through the exhaustion to positively engage others and encourage actions both large and small.
Robyn Williams AM has presented and produced the science show on ABC RN every week for over 40 years and knows just how to find a new angle.
Paul Brown is an academic professor in environment studies at UNSW, was campaign manager for Greenpeace and is also a verbatim playwright.
Gretchen Miller is a former radio documentary maker from ABC RN currently doing a PhD in her specialist arena of citizen storytelling, podcasting and environmental communications.
James Link manages the corporate partnerships program at Landcare Australia and is accustomed to telling great stories of the work of everyday Australians to attract new funding.
Tessa Fluence is public narrative coordinator leading the Changing the Story work at the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Gretchen Miller, Podcast producer, lecturer and media consultant, Gretchen Miller Media
Robyn Williams AM, Presenter, The Science Show, ABC RN
Paul Brown, Associate Professor Environment Studies, UNSW Faculty Arts and Social Sciences
James Link, Head of Corporate Partnerships, Landcare Australia
Tessa Fluence, Public Narrative Coordinator, Australian Conservation Foundation
When: Wednesday 14th November, 11:55am – 1:25pm
Where: L2, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #W13
Can poetry be used as a tool to communicate science? There is a science to poetry: poetic forms have strict formulas and measurement systems. Conversely, science is full of poetry – it is creative, imaginative, and inquisitive. This interactive workshop aims to decompartmentalise “poetry” and “science”, with a view to discussing the availability of poetry as a tool for communicating science to a wide range of audiences. Poetry will be deconstructed and various poetic forms analysed, giving you the techniques to debate and create your own science-inspired poetry. When scientific concepts are expressed in verse, perhaps the aesthetics, intuition, emotion, and poetic devices that characterise poetry will enrich the inductive reasoning, logic, pragmatism, and precise terminology that characterise science. Perhaps there are many ways in which the humanistic nature of poetry can be shaped for scientific purposes and messages. In turn, maybe the creative and descriptive nature of science will influence new poetic themes. Bring along your favourite poem or discover some new ones (perhaps even of your own making) as we explore science poetry and its future. Two examples, composed by the workshop’s facilitates, are here to get you thinking!
“This hemisphere leans
Sunward as winter breeds spring.
Hibernators rise.”
“The shy Higgs Boson’s strange decay
Happens, it seems, almost right away.
And it’s a loop of Tops
From which the shy Higgs pops,
Into a dual Photon array.”
Dr Michael Leach, Adjunct Research Associate, School of Rural Health, Monash University
Rachel Rayner, Science Communicator, Australian Volunteers Program
The facilitators are currently working on a science communication paper around the topic of poetry as a communication tool. Elements of the results and discussion from this workshop may be incorporated into the paper.
When: Monday 12th November, 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Where: Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris St, Ultimo
Room: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #M16
Attention Wars is a 6 x 8 minute documentary series that explores the notion that big tech companies are competing in a high stakes game for our attention. Examining the attention economy and the persuasive design of our devices and apps, we examine how technology affects our brain, behaviour and is shifting our cultural norms. All with the aim to empower people to have a healthier relationship with technology.
https://youtube.com/braincraft
Lisa Bailey, Exhibition Manager, MOD.
Vanessa Hill, Science Educator / Host / Producer
Public ticketed event, register to save your seat!
(Delegates RSVP to this event during registration).
Free to attend but you must RSVP.
When: Wednesday 14th November, 8:45am – 11:20am
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #W1
Design is not about prettifying information. Design is not a final step in production after the “real work” is done. But what is design, especially in the context of scicomm?
Designer Horst Rittel introduced and defined the term “wicked problems” to denote problems that are resistant to resolution, especially due to issues of social complexity. He contrasted these to the “tame” problems that science has effectively developed techniques to deal with. Many scicomm scenarios are wicked problems (they all deal with people in social contexts) and experienced designers can bring a different set of perspectives and skills to these problems.
Although design perspectives are relevant to all branches of scicomm, they have particular resonance in countries like Australia and New Zealand where scicomm projects regularly intersect with indigenous communities. Commonly employed scientific frameworks and methodologies, from which much scicomm derives, are ill-equipped to deal with the needs of such communities.
In this session, design professionals who engage with scicomm will provide case studies, advice, processes, and frameworks for thinking that offer alternatives to the techniques often employed by those who come to scicomm from science. They will demonstrate how designers can successfully play a significant role in scicomm conception, development, and implementation using their unique skills and approaches.
David Harris, Lecturer (sessional), Queensland College of Art, Griffith University
Jo Bailey, Lecturer, Massey University
Tristam Sparks, Senior Lecturer, Massey University
Jacqueline Gothe, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney
When: Sunday 11th November, 10:30am – 2:30pm
Where: Ultimo Community Centre, 40 William Henry Street (Corner Bulwara Road), Ultimo
Room: Seminar Room 1, Level 1, enter off Bulwara Road.
Up the stairs, the library is on the right and the seminar room is down the corridor on the left.
Hashtag: #S1
Purchase separately or free for conference+workshop delegates (RSVP during registration).
Using lots of hands-on exercises we explore the power of podcasting. What is podcasting? Why is the spoken word so effective? Who can podcast? (clue – anyone!)
We look at genres and formats, planning your podcast, working with talent, the art of the interview, scripting/presenting, how to handle audio equipment, and an understanding of the ‘back end’ – editing choices, hosting and social media.
Format
This session will alternate instruction in the elements of podcasting you need to consider and a number of practical exercises to help you come away with a plan for your first (second or third) ideal podcast.
Audience
The class will be tailored according to participants’ experience.
We will contact confirmed participants to ask you to indicate your experience level with audio interviewing/podcasting and what you’d like to get from the course.
Participants will come away with hands on experience in interviewing, handling recording equipment and working with talent, scripting and presenting, knowledge of hosting options and a plan for their ideal podcast.
Gretchen Miller, Podcast producer, lecturer and media consultant with 20 years experience at ABC RN, Gretchen Miller Media
Purchase separately or free for conference+workshop delegates (RSVP during registration).
When: Wednesday 14th November, 2:40pm – 3:40pm
Where: L1, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #W16
As Communication Professionals, we dream about securing front page media coverage for our respective organisations. The reality is that getting great media coverage is the easy part. Sensitively and effectively managing the public interest following a high profile media story is much more challenging, especially when your talent is more at home in a laboratory than in front of a journalist. In this session, Carolyn MacDonald, Melea Tarabay and Emily Woodhams will share their experiences and advice for surviving ‘life after the front page’, including managing consumer expectations.
Case studies: Sci com in health
Emily Woodhams, Communications Advisor, Centre for Eye Research Australia
Carolyn MacDonald, Head of Communications and Marketing, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Melea Tarabay, Director Strategic Communications and Media, The Royal Melbourne Hospital
@auscicomm
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