Guest Post: An International Public-Engagement Workshop
[Note: This week’s blog post is from Bernard Appiah, AuthorAID graduate assistant. Bernard just returned from an international workshop at which he gave a presentation titled “Visual Arts in Public Engagement: Lessons from Cartoons That Speak with Consumers of Medicines”. Below, Bernard reports on the workshop. Thank you, Bernard! –Barbara]
I attended the second Wellcome Trust International Public Engagement Workshop, which took place this month in Bengaluru, India.
The workshop had the theme “Telling Stories: Why narrative matters in public engagement with science”. It brought together experts—including researchers—from diverse backgrounds who have a common goal of engaging the public with science. The experts came from 26 countries.
The workshop had three main strands:
- Translations: Engaging with Different “Publics”,
- Creative Approaches: Participating in Engagement, and
- Gender and Public Engagement.
The workshop underscored the need to present data with caution to a range of “publics”, including policymakers, disadvantaged or vulnerable people, transgendered people, and children. It also emphasized creative approaches to engaging the public.
Some of the creative approaches that were highlighted were the use of cartoons, drama, scrolls, storytelling, and radio to engage with the public.
As part of the workshop, some local children took part in group sessions with participants to design public engagement activities for children.
Finally, the workshop emphasized that it is rational for researchers to engage the public because it helps both society and science. The Wellcome Trust has funding for activities in developing countries that engage the public with biomedical science.
So, more than just publishing scientific papers, researchers should also consider engaging with the public.
Presentations from the 2008 workshop are available online. Those from the 2009 workshop will be available later.
I thank the Wellcome Trust for funding my participation in the workshop.