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Expert Advice

Where to begin?

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There are many organisations who can help you on your quest to produce data driven exhibits, or events organisers such as science festivals who might be interested to hear about your proposal.

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But what can they offer you and what do they need?

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To try and answer this we asked representatives from various organisations to join us at our first live event. This event featured discussions, interviews and a panel discussion covering Key Points.

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Please see below for recordings from each of our experts, as well as the Panel Discussion, which can be viewed as a whole or in smaller sections-

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Creative Carbon Scotland

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'Creative Carbon Scotland believes in the essential role of the arts, screen, cultural and creative industries in contributing to the transformational change to a more environmentally sustainable Scotland.'

 

Gemma Lawrence highlights the importance of collaborative working at CCS and artists seeing their role as part of the larger projects, developing their work in response to the needs of the community.

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Creative Informatics

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'Creative Informatics is an ambitious research and development programme based in Edinburgh, which aims to bring the city’s world-class creative industries and tech sector together. We provide funding and development opportunities'

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Nicola Osborne offers some top tips:

-Join every newsletter and network going

-Start conversations early

-Don't be be afraid to seek guidance and help

Edinburgh Science

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'As leaders in our field of Science Communication, we work year-round to create and deliver dynamic hands-on workshops and exhibitions and inspirational shows, discussions, debates and performances that continually push the boundaries of public engagement with science.'

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Bill Addison recommends that people considering the Edinburgh Science Festival:

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-Don't be afraid to get in touch early

-The science festival is looking for solutions, but they don't need to be finished solutions

-Read the guidance - do you fit those criteria? 

-Have you considered all practical considerations, such as how it will be installed, will it be safe, how many people can see it at a time?

InSpace

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'Inspace is a unique events and exhibitions space which is part of the Institute of Design Informatics within the University of Edinburgh.'  

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More than just a venue, InSpace is part of Institute for Design Informatics. InSpace offers creative opportunities such as residencies and a very supportive environment to have events and exhibits. This organisation is very open and is happy to be approached by artists still in the early stages of their careers

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Jane MacDonald explains that her organisation can offer support for less established artists with projects in their early stages. The focus is on the collaborative elements. Can you explain how it combines science, data and art.

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Panel Discussion

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The first of Cognition Arts public event our panel discussion took place at InSpace, featuring our panel of experts- bill, .............. and our own experienced art/date/science producer Johnathan Elders.

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The event was hosted by Susan Morrison, a leading figure with Edinburgh's creative science scene and host to the Cabaret of Dangerous ideas 

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The event can be viewed in its entirity or in 5 sections: 

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Key Points

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Reassuringly a number of points were repeated by echoed by each of our delegates during our discussions

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Joan Smith

 

Joan Smith is an artist based in Edinburgh. Her work is inspired by archives and collections, medicine, anatomy, anthropology, archaeology and the natural world, amongst other things! She particularly enjoys working collaboratively with other artists and scientists: collaboration brings with it sometimes unexpected conversations, projects and opportunities. Joan is a member of the
art/science group, Fusion, the anthropology group, Bones Collective, the Society of Scottish Artists and Visual Arts Scotland.

 

Recent projects include Skull Colour Chart (SSA 2021) an evolving artwork where the focus is on rethinking the University of Edinburgh skull collection through analysis of skull colours; Field Notes
(Surgeons Hall Museum, Edinburgh, 2018 -19), a joint exhibition with fellow artist Susie Wilson that explored the work of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals in the first World War and she was part of
TRACES (2015 – 2018), a Europe-wide Horizon 2020 funded multi-disciplinary research project that addressed contentious collections across Europe. In the last year Joan has co-authored, with scientist Janet Philp, two book chapters on the use of textiles in understanding the anatomy of the human body, one in Teaching, Research, Innovation and Public Engagement (Springer 2022) and another in Biomedical Visualisation (Springer 2023). Joan’s installation about how plastic pollution affects the sea and the creatures that live in it, Sea Amulets, featured in the 2023 Hidden Door Festival.


Joan is currently working with Janet Philp on I’ve Got Your Back, a public engagement project focusing on understanding back health through working with needle felt. The resulting installation will be shown in the Anatomical Museum, University of Edinburgh, from October 2023.

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Joan can be contacted via our Contact us page


Instagram @joansmithartist


www.fusionartsci.co.uk/

Tom Pratt

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Tom Pratt is a lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh where he teaches principles of developmental biology on a number of courses. His main research interest is investigating how changes to genetic sequences affect the development of the brain.

 

He has been involved in the FUSION group which aims to connect people from different disciplines to create and exhibit their works for a number of years and has enjoyed collaborating with artists and scientists, being inspired, and making objects in the process 

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Thom can be contacted via our Contact us page

 

https://www.fusionartsci.co.uk/

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David Price

 

David Price is Professor of Developmental Neurobiology at Edinburgh University. Which means he studies how brains develop and how they might become diverse or disordered. That's what most of his work is on, but he's also interested in the history of neuroscience - in particular, the era of the phrenologists and their crazy ideas - and runs an Our Minds program for projects in any discipline on how we think. He has been a member of the Art-Science Fusion group for many years and has exhibited work with the group. He has organised and spoken at many public events. He chairs the Africa Working Group at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, which aims to enhance collaborations between Scotland and the African continent. 

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David can be contacted via our Contact us page

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www.fusionartsci.co.uk/

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