Preface

Welcome to Using Arts-Based Methods in Science Communication. This pop-up guidebook is carefully designed for you to test and taste. It is part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 SWAFS funded project called Participatory Communication of Science - ParCos (under grant agreement No. 872500).

This first version of guidebook has the nature of a pop-up guidebook; it is for testing ideas and getting feedback from you and other people applying arts-based methods in the context of science communication.

​​​​Sketch by Anne Pässilä, photo by Antti Knutas

Specific case studies take place in three European countries, Belgium, the U.K. and Finland. Each case study progresses through a number of stages, from collecting or identifying scientific data, to finding and telling stories from the data, to communicating the stories through selected media for a chosen audience with the intent to prompt further science activities from the outputs. Arts-based methods in each case study are identified to help with the following activities of citizen science: identification of problems, ideation, framing of solutions, design or deployment. By doing this we are carefully identifying why, when and how we use specific arts-based method.

After testing, getting feedback and deepening our understanding of arts-based methods in this specific context, the book will be updated and the final version will be written for you.

Sketch by Anne Pässiilä, photo Antti Knutas

The pop-up guidebook opens a door to use arts-based methods in various stages of participatory processes of making sense of data. This is based on an ideology of making science participation a mainstream activity; one that is a part of popular and cultural activities, one that people want to – and more critically are able – to participate in. It is an iterative co-creation process.

Sketch by Anne Pässilä, photo by Antti Knutas

The communication and propagation of scientific information is easier than ever. It is no longer the case that science is conveyed through a single authoritative voice to a passive public. Tools that allow the public to collect data and offer their interpretations are being seen through large-scale and mainstream initiatives, often framed as citizen science or participatory sensing initiatives, or open knowledge sharing activities.

The Participatory Communication of Science-project aims to explore the common practices of both generating science and communicating about it in a) citizen science activities b) science in schools and c) research activities of universities.

​​​​Sketch by Anne Pässilä, photo by Antti Knutas

We are intrested in how public engagement with science practice and data interpretation can be supported through popular cultural forms, such as video broadcast, VR and AR technologies. We also want to research how such experiences can be augmented with data, making the evidence more salient through these media and prompting and supporting the public's interpretation of it.

ParCos works from a perspective of diversity, inclusion and empowerment. Effective engagement is to create an environment where technology, knowledge, expertise and collaboration can be combined to co-create solutions and opportunities that generate value and legacy for all.

Sketch by Anne Pässilä, photo by Antti Knutas

In this view, citizens and young people should be empowered in undertaking science activities, interpreting outputs and communicating science amongst their communities. By tailoring the content, scope and focus to the interests and priorities of the people and partners working with it, projects are thus defined through co-design and co-production and have an inclusive approach.

Arts-based methods in Participatory Communication of Science -project are to support participatory sense-making of science outputs.

The focus of using arts-based methods is to allow individual perspectives to emerge and these are then critically thought through. Reflection is a skill that can be learned, and especially critical reflection is fundamental as we often seek evidence that supports our own ideas and assumptions, ignoring evidence to the contrary. It is easy to find evidence to support any point of view, even if the evidence is flawed. With the help of arts-based methods basic assumptions (which are often normalized to be the right perspective) can be explored and made visible as well as made accessible and engaging to the public. In this guidebook we introduce the use of arts-based methods and share our experiences applying them into participatory meaning making.

• The ParCos arts-based methods are designed to help people to share information in constructive ways, that support good scientific practice and the use of scientific data and other forms of information to answer questions and support hypotheses.
• ParCos proposes that the solution lies in making science participation a mainstream activity, one that is a part of popular and cultural activities, one that people want to - and more critically are able - to participate in.
• ParCos will explore solutions that bring the supporting data and evidence to the forefront of science communication, whilst encouraging alternative interpretations of evidence to be explored and discussed, thus adopting a truly participatory approach to understanding and interpreting scientific outputs.

The participatory approach applied in the ParCos is called the Bristol Approach which is a framework to ensure a people and issue-led process for citizen science and engagement. Rather than pushing pre-determined ‘tech solutions’ onto people, The Bristol Approach provides a set of tools and a way of working that supports different groups – from councils and businesses, to schools and community organisations and individuals – to tackle the pressing issues in their community and create a greater understanding of the topic.

Sketch by Anne Pässilä, photo by Antti Knutas

The Bristol Approach is focused on working with a diverse and inclusive community to identify issues, co-create the tools to measure, change or represent them, and then share these tools and findings openly in accessible, understandable, and contextual ways.

This is done through creative workshops which provides consistent and open collaboration with a wide-ranging group ensuring it includes often underrepresented skills and perspectives to help shape an ideas and action towards meaningful solutions. At the heart of this framework is the development of a ‘city commons’, where resources, tools, expertise and technologies are shared and used for the common good.

Arts-based methods in this framework focuses on supporting participants to collect and make sense of their own data: the process demystifies often inaccessible information. Here you may find more about Bristol Approach.

Bristol approach, as illustrated by Anne Pässilä

Core concepts: data, co-design, co-creation, participatory approach,

why include the other concepts? as aesthetic distancing and polyphony? It was not used earlier in the text while the other concepts were already used.

Data is a single piece of information for example facts, statistics, symbols which gathered together form information.

Co-design is a design process in which citizens have a major or minor role in different or every stage of design activities. Process is often lead by professional facilitator whom have a range of participatory activities in use.

Co-creation is a multi-perspective way to organize co-design process where citizens, designers, artists, art educators, researchers and stakeholders creatively work together to idea generate, improve, test an evaluate for example new solutions, products, practices, services and concepts

Participatory approach is a practical and ethical methodology which is often used in co-design where citizens are actors in one or every stage of process; planning, acting, observing, reflecting

Aesthetic distancing A concept based on Bertolt Brecht’s idea of the alienation effect, which breaks down the illusion of cathartic theatre. The idea of aesthetic distancing puts familiar, taken-for-granted issues in a new light, making the unfamiliar familiar and vice versa; everyday affairs and relationships are explored through metaphors or roles. This allows for reflection and reflexive thinking; participants sensuously explore different type of distance related to the issues at hand.

Aesthetic participation Embodied and cognitive engagement in a process wherein participants use their senses, bodies, and experiences to reflect on their experiences and those of others. A distinct aspect of aesthetic participation is the notion that participants are simultaneously engaged in and distanced from whatever they are exploring.

Polyphony A descriptive concept that illustrates the nature of aesthetic distancing and of the dialogue created through aesthetic participation. Polyphony means that various perspectives, voices, and points of view can exist simultaneously.

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