1. Communicating Science with the Creative and Performing Arts Siân Owen Science Communication Unit

2. Communicating Science with the Creative and Performing Arts Classroom Activities Picturing Physics  Attitudes towards Science and Art  Project Impact Science Journeys Summary Overview

3. Communicating Science with the Creative and Performing Arts Science-Art Crossover  Science inspiration to Artists  Creativity  Communicating through Creative and Performing Arts Funding Bodies  NESTA, National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts  Wellcome Trust; PULSE  Research Councils

4. My PhD: Introduction Does the way we in which we teach Physics determine how students feel about the subject? Investigating the processes of teaching and communicating Physics with the Creative and Performing Arts Types of Activity Teaching Organisation Outreach

5. Classroom Activities I really like or I quite like I neither like nor dislike I don’t like much or I really dislike

6. Aims To entertain, inform and enthuse young people (Year 8 students) about forces, particles and electricity To provide coverage and enrichment of the appropriate parts of KS3 of the National Curriculum To encourage schoolchildren and their teachers to explore new ways of presenting scientific material To encourage collaboration between science and art teachers within schools

7. Walker Art Gallery Visit Conrad Shawcross – The Steady States “Conrad Shawcross marries art and physics in his giant, loopy works” The Observer “one man pottering in a shed can daily demonstrate the eternal laws of the infinite universe” Guardian WorkshopExhibition and Awards Evening

8. Picturing Physics Art Work 99 Participants 4 Schools

9. Students Attitudes towards Science and Art Before Taking Part in the Project Science 60% Like Science 24% Neither like nor dislike. Science 16% Dislike Science Art 89% Like Art 7% Neither like nor dislike Art 4% Dislike Art

10. Attitudes Towards the Project Innovative5 Too many questionnaires3 O.K.3 Team work3 Better than school2 Boring at times2 Positive Comment4 Inspiring2 Art Work2 Art and Science2 Fun37 Interesting25 Exciting19 Different13 Educational13 Good7 Enjoyable7 Creative7 Superlative6 Funny5 Please write down three words or sentences that describe the project for you.

11. Students’ Comments “It brought science to life” (Female) “I was able to learn for myself in a fun way” (Female) “It is like seeing science” (Female) “It was more arty than science” (Male) “I already new about science that we used for the project” (Female) 76% Very Useful or Useful 24% Fairly Useful or Useless Student Learning

12. Impact Science 85% Much more or more interesting 14% Neither more interesting nor. more boring 2% Much more or more boring Art 55% Much more or more interesting 33% Neither more interesting nor. more boring 12% Much more or more boring

13. Positive Change in Attitude NoSub Group 15 Fun 9 Enjoy art subject 7 Effective learning technique 7 Different 4 Hands on 2 None traditional 2 Fun whilst learning 2 Making and drawing 2 Different perspective 2 Like both subjects 2 A lot to do 1 Involvement 1 Creative 1 Colourful “it has definitely made me see science in a different point of view” (female) Effective Enjoyable Engaging Different

14. No change in Attitude NoSub Group 1 Fun 1 One off 1 Different 1 Effective learning technique 1 Dislike art

15. Teachers’ Comments Stimulated interest in Physics/Science with class Saw class in different environment/class setting Built stronger relationship with class Fun for staff and pupils Increased science understanding Produced interesting art works Shown scientific ideas in different ways

16. Drawbacks Time consuming Cost Hard to coordinate Science/Art lessons Time off timetable for gallery visit Time dedicated to project after school

17. Science Journeys Communicating Science with Drama “we can express how we feel about science and show each other what we know” (Male) “It is something different after all” (Female) “you get to see how and why things work” (Male) “drama makes things easier to understand” (Female) “Not just riting” (Male) Science 89% Much more or more interesting 8% Neither more interesting nor. more boring 4% Much more or more boring

18. NSub group 58Fun 20Fun whilst learning 20No written work 19Active 19Effective learning technique 12Involvement 9Visual 9Different 9Enjoy drama 8Not teacher-centred 6Attention 4Interaction 3Remember 3 Like both subjects 2A lot to do 2Allowed to talk Positive Change in Attitude Engaging Effective Enjoyable Engaging Different

19. NoSub group 3Like science before 3Science in workshop too easy 2Science too difficult in general 1Don’t like either subject 1Ineffective learning technique NoSub group 1Science in workshop too easy 1Nothing in common 2Ineffective learning technique 1Immature No Change in Attitude Negative Change in Attitude

20. Communicating Science with the Creative and Performing Arts Effective Enjoyable Engaging Different Siân Owen Science Communication Unit sianowen@liv.ac.uk