As part of Science Literacy Week the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (SWCC) and the Royal BC Museum join forces for a dynamic evening discovering the myriad ways to effectively communicate the relevance of science.
From the powerful written language in a book or text panel in a museum to multimedia exhibitions, how the concepts of science are crafted makes all the difference in making an authentic and meaningful impact on an audience.
The evening will begin with a Science in Society book award presentation by Jude Isabella Editor in Chief at Hakai Magazine and former Vice President of SWCC to Mark Leiren-Young for his book The Killer Whale Who Changed the World.
The event will also feature local innovators in science communication, with talks by spider scientist Catherine Scott and science photographer Sean McCann representing Science Borealis, and art-science experiences from Vancouver's Curiosity Collider.
Follow the event on Twitter: #ScicommNightBC
Date: September 22nd, 2017
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location: Royal British Columbia Museum, 675 Belleville Street, Victoria
About Mark Leiren-Young
Mark Leiren-Young was swallowed by a whale named Moby Doll. Mark is directing a feature documentary about Moby and his short documentary The Hundred-Year-Old Whale, debuts at festivals this fall. He hosts the popular podcast, Skaana, about orcas, oceans and the environment (www.skaana.org). Mark is also a playwright whose work has been produced around the world. He has two plays running in Vancouver this season — Shylock is at Bard on the Beach in September and Bar Mitzvah Boy debuts at Pacific Theatre in March, 2018. www.leiren-young.com @leirenyoung
**
Representing the Canadian science blog aggregator Science Borealis, Catherine Scott and Sean McCann will be at #SciCommNightBC to talk spiders! Here's a little more about these scientists:
About Catherine Scott
Catherine Scott is a behavioural ecologist and arachnologist who studies sexual communication in spiders. A former arachnophobe, she is passionate about trying to shift perceptions about these fascinating creatures by engaging in science communication. Catherine blogs about spiders at spiderbytes.org and you can also find her on twitter (@Cataranea), where she is always happy to answer questions about spiders and other arachnids.
About Sean McCann
Dr. Sean McCann is a behavioural ecologist, entomologist and wildlife photographer who specializes in capturing the natural history of arthropods through imagery. He studies diverse animals, from mosquitoes, wasps, ants and spiders to barn owls and other raptors. Sean blogs about natural history and shares his photography at Ibycter.com and tweets as @Ibycter.
**
At the event, keep an eye out for work by these two amazing science artists: Erick James and Larissa Blokhuis!
About Erick James
As a biologist and artist, Erick uses art as a form of science outreach. His pieces convey the wonders of the natural world to the audience. Erick has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of British Columbia and an Honors Metal Certificate from the Kootenay School of the Arts at Selkirk College. Erick has worked and studied in labs for more than 20 years and still finds wonder there. It is this curiosity and excitement for the natural world that Erick brings to his art. In larger than life metal microbes, scanning electron micrographs in gilded frames and framed fixed specimen slides, the often invisible are made visible. At #SciCommNightBC, Erick will be displaying his work “Fixed”.
About Larissa Blokhuis
Larissa’s art is inspired by the evolutionary history of plants, and the repetition of life cycles. Her current focus on using glass and mixed media by incorporating ceramic, steel, wool, polymer, and wood as needed has allowed her to develop a distinctive style.
