Science, stories and citizens: exploring scientific knowledge through art.

Scientists, and the science they produce, are often perceived in a particular way by society (e.g. white coats, ivory towers and cold facts). The language used to describe their work is often complex, filled with jargon , and logical facts built on observed or modelled evidence. Such forms of language can reinforce these societal mental models and create a barrier to establishing a two-way dialogue with a variety of different audiences. Opening these shared channels of communication about science is well known not only to benefit science itself, but also to develop an informed society, confident in their decision making.

Public engagement events can offer scientists an opportunity to challenge the dominant stereotypes and develop a dialogue around what scientific knowledge is, in all its varieties. Little explored, however, is how scientists might effectively use their own, often unseen, creative talent to improve engagement with the public.

This paper will investigate what happens when the arts and science collide under the umbrella of story-telling using a variety of media - created by scientists - including sound, film, sculpture, glass, photography and design. Each piece created for a free public event told a story that was specifically inspired by science, but provided the opportunity to engage on many different levels. We demonstrate that this very personal approach to engagement acts as a great leveller between the public and scientists, creates a space to explore different forms of knowledge, and provides a richness and variety to more traditional forms of public engagement in science. Our qualitative and quantitative analyses of the event revealed challenges and new possibilities of communication between scientists and the public, to guide this pilot event for future expansion.