Don’t be afraid of the dark: sharing our sins and doubts
First half of the session: a darkened room. Anonymised seating. Voices speak up in the dark to confess personal professional sins, doubts about their institutions and dubious things we do as a science engagement community. Second half of the session: a (not too brightly) lit room. We reflect on our sins and doubts and a philosopher provides context and general lessons.
The darkness provides a sense of excitement; an atmosphere and a mindset for everyone to take a leap out of their comfort zone. It also provides the freedom, safety and comfort of not being watched and not having to meet someone else’s eye. We probe our weaknesses, failures and regrets. Things that we have done wrong personally, things that our institution does that we disagree with and weaknesses in the system, things that we feel that our community of science institutions, should not do.
Facilitator
Learning ecosystems researcher and project leader pop-upscientist
Session speakers
San Francisco
United States
Amparo has collected many examples of doubts and sins in her years of experience as a practitioner in the field of science communication and science museums. She convened a series of Confession Sessions during previous Ecsite Annual Conferences.
Amparo will chair the first half of the session. She will act as an empathic and open catalyst for an atmosphere of trust and sharing. She will lead by example and share sins and failures of her own.
As the director of the Dutch national association of science centers and museums, Alex facilitates connections between people and organizations. He is an experienced thinker about the roles of science communication and science communicators in society. He has written about quality in science communication, with a focus on separating technical and value-based criteria.
Alex will share doubts and weaknesses of his own. He will also chair the second half of the session, and lead and structure reflection and analysis by the participants.
Associate Professor Science Communication & Public Engagement
Frank is a philosopher, a science communication researcher and an improv actor. He is also involved with the Instituut voor Faalkunde (Institute for the Art of Failure, aka Failology).
Frank will share sins and doubts of his own. Also, he will provide overarching context to the participants’ stories and some philosophical tools for thinking about failure, sins, doubts and the way forward.
