Theatre in Science Centres and Museums

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Theatre in Science Centres and Museums
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Frank Burnet

• First Professor of Science Communication in UK
• Director of Science Communication Unit
• International Director Cheltenham Festivals
• Director of Masters in Science Communication
  Bristol

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Why take science to the public?

• To produce a science and technology literate
  workforce
• To enable citizens to play an informed role in
  their democracy
• To re-claim sciences place at the centre of
  civilised cultures

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Science Communication in the UK shift in late
1990s from one way to two way communication model

• Why?
• Discovered that greater knowledge of science by
  the general public did not correlate with greater
  trust in science or scientists.

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What are the Publics attitudes to Science and
Technology?

• Science is making a positive difference to our
  lives
• US 91 agree
• AUS 84 agree
• EU 78 agree
• The benefits of science outweigh the harmful
  effects
• US 84 agree
• AUS 74 agree
• EU 52 agree
• Science makes our way of life change too fast
• US 33 agree
• AUS 36 agree
• EU 60 agree

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• So
• In came Listening and out went Telling
• In came Dialogue/ Discussion/Debate/
  Deliberation/Engagement and out went
  Understanding and Awareness

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Tools for triggering discussion

• Games like DECIDE
• Scenarios
• Drama
• or something nobody plans like a hurricane or a
  drug trial that goes wrong

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SCU Projects

• Robot Thought
• Map Your Future
• Better Brains
• New You?
• Science Horizons
• Meet the Gene Machine

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Meet the Gene Machine

• A mini-drama 10 -12 mins
• Target audience 1619 year olds
• Minimal requirement for costumes, sets, lighting
  etc enhance transferability
• Need not be performed by professional actors
  further enhance transferability
• Designed to trigger discussion about the ethical
  issues raised for society by advances in genetic
  screening
• Discussion is facilitated and guided

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Meet the Gene Machine

• Network Members
• At-Bristol
• Centre for Life, Newcastle
• Glasgow Science Centre
• Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester
• Science Oxford
• Techniquest, Cardiff
• Thinktank, Birmingham
• WhoWhatWhenWhereWhy, Belfast

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How it works

• Outreach staff from each Centre trained by SCU
  team to both perform mini-drama and facilitate
  discussion
• Also trained to deliver workshop for teachers
  about use of drama to trigger discussion
• Staff encouraged to modify the event in ways that
  make it work best for them and their Centre
• Staff then deliver both event and teachers
  workshop in schools local to them