THE ARTS and sciences met on common ground yesterday to hear how both could participate as equal partners in celebrations to mark Dublin City of Science 2012.
Representatives from arts and cultural groups, university research labs and the education sector came to the RDS to hear the Government’s chief scientific adviser ask all interested groups to submit proposals for science-linked events to be held across the country throughout 2012.
The events are linked to the holding of Europe’s largest scientific meeting in Dublin from July 11th-15th next year, said Prof Patrick Cunningham, who chairs the organising committee for the meeting, the EuroScience Open Forum. This will see more than 5,000 scientists, visitors and media come to Dublin for the event, to be held at the new convention centre.
Prof Cunningham encouraged anyone with interesting ideas to submit proposals either under the call for scientific presentations or the call for public-engagement events for possible inclusion on the EuroScience or the Dublin City of Science programmes.
The range of ideas that could be submitted was limited only by the proposer’s imagination, with all ideas receiving equal consideration, he said.
“This is a call for action. The mission is very clear here – we are going to put on the best scientific meeting in the world,” said Trinity College Dublin’s Prof Luke O’Neill, who heads the programme committee. He and his team will assess proposals in July and will put together a programme for the EuroScience meeting and the wider Dublin City of Science activities for 2012.
Lisa Jameson of the National Wax Museum in Dublin came to hear about the open forum but decided to submit a public engagement proposal, she said. “We already have a science element and we would like to help develop science in education.”
Rachel O’Dwyer is an organiser in the Dublin Art and Technology Association, which fosters linkages between the arts and science. “We are planning to put in a proposal for a festival or a workshop, something that will support dialogue,” she said. The association is connected to the Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin.
The calls for proposals close on June 30th. Details can be found at www.dublinscience2012.ie/calls