May 2015

Hacking the museum

IN DEPTH

A MUSE-Techmania double interview with Michele Lanzinger and Vlastimil Volak

LOOKOUT

Hacking the museum - interviews by Julie Becker

COLUMN

Rethinking Ecsite membership by Rosalia Vargas

From the Ecsite Office

Ecsite Conference

Good reads and resources

Opportunities

From Ecsite European collaborations

From Ecsite members

Spokes is the monthly magazine of Ecsite, the European network of science centres and museums. Hear the latest news from European science engagement, go further with in depth features and make the most of the good reads, events and opportunities shared by Ecsite members.
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Architecture and museography: a MUSE-Techmania double interview

In depth

Would you rather set up a science centre in a brand new Renzo Piano building or in a repurposed Skoda factory?

Architecture and museography: a MUSE-Techmania double interview

Vlastimil Volak

Michele Lanzinger

In conversation with Maarten Okkersen

Edited by Raquel da Cunha

Hacking the museum

Lookout

What happens when museum users (re)claim authority over collections, spaces and narratives and use them as building blocks of their own self-curated experiences? Meet five museum hackers

Hacking the museum

Marianna Marcucci

Bjørnstjerne Christiansen

Julien Dorra

Babs Guthrie

Dustin Growick

Julie Becker

International Innovation Food and agriculture issue

Sci fi exhibition Callisto - Advertisement Spokes#8

Rethinking Ecsite membership

Column

Important changes will be discussed and decided on in two steps: at the upcoming Annual General Meeting in June and at the Ecsite Directors Forum in November

Rethinking Ecsite membership - steps ahead

Rosalia Vargas

From the Ecsite office

Programme of 2015 Directors Forum released

Hosted by the Techmania Science Center, Pilsen (Czech Republic), on 18-20 November 2015. This year's theme is "Industrial Heritage and Corporate Social Responsibility" - discover the programme. Registration to open in a few weeks.

Techmania Science Center, host of the 2015 Ecsite Directors Forum

European science engagement mourns great advocate

José Mariano Gago was a founder of the Portuguese Ciência Viva network and an active contributor to Ecsite over the years. He passed away in Lisbon on 17 April.

José Mariano Gago ©Luisa Ferreira

New Ecsite members, welcome on board!

20+ organisations joined since the beginning of 2015

Members, watch the post

You'll be receiving your 2014 Annual Report in a few days...

Ecsite Annual Report 2014 - Cover

Ecsite Conference

Less than a month left until the Ecsite Annual Conference in Trento (Italy)! Register now: online registration will be closing at the end of 21 May. All participants will be receiving an email with the last practical details soon.

MUSE's striking central void and its suspended "zero gravity specimens"

Cooking the conference#6 – Elena Pasquazzo

This year’s Gala Dinner will be taking place on Friday 11 June in the beautiful Rotari Winery about 15 km away from Trento. Hospitality Manager Elena Pasquazzo tells us about the science of wine, Trentino cuisine and what to expect on our plates...

Strangolapreti, a typical dish from Trentino

Ecsite Jazz Band still looking for drummer

The Ecsite Jazz Band will be performing at the Nocturne on 12 June. The band is actively looking for a drummer and would welcome any other musical contribution. Get in touch with Michael Bradke.

Get ready for the Business Bistro competition

Win free registrations for next year's conference - for that you'll need the help of Business Bistro exhibitors. You'll find an entry card in your delegate's bag.

From Ecsite European collaborations

RRI tools: defining Responsible Research and Innovation

Project partners met in Lisbon end of April to define criteria for Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). Browse through the results of a large stakeholders consultation and attend a conference session in Trento.

Blue Society - bringing the Ocean to the heart of our society

Plenty of opportunities in the upcoming weeks to meet Sea for Society project partners and participate in engaging events.

From Ecsite members

Want to see your news featured here?

Ecsite members can publish news and items directly onto the "Members share" section of the Ecsite website. Spokes features a monthly selection from this news. All you need to know about publishing news is here.

Fire at Experimentarium

A fire broke out 27 April at Experimentarium (Hellerup, Denmark) - luckily no one was harmed. The fire destroyed part of Experimentarium's old exhibition space, currently undergoing renovation works.

International Centre for Life turns 15

Newcastle, UK - discover highlights in the yearly review

An external view of Life Science Centre at Centre for Life, Newcastle upon Tyne

MUSE celebrates visitor numer 1 million

21 months after opening, visitor numbers have exceeded all expectations

Museon presents Dutch Innovation zone

At Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci (Milan, Italy) - part of the Dutch contribution to World Expo 2015

Dutch Innovation Zone

Museum of Science Boston receives Public Service Award

An award by the National Science Board (NSB)

Museum of Science Boston presented with award

Tinker imagineers win two awards

Museums + Heritage Award (UK) and Best Achievement Award in the international Heritage in Motion competition for the multimedia design of archaeological experience DOMunder

DOMunder experience in Utrecht (Netherlands)

Opportunities

International science engagement conferences and courses

Each month, Ecsite lists upcoming international conferences, calls for papers and courses in science engagement. Send your event's information to communications@ecsite.eu if you want to appear in this monthly pick.

Today is International Museum Day

This year's theme is "Museums for a suistainable society"

Job - Natural history curator, Geneva

Deadline extended until 25 May

Fully funded History of Science PhD

Topics include public science and museology. At the University of Kent (UK) - apply by 29 May

Communication Researcher position at AAAS

Apply by 5 June

Good reads and resources

Selected science engagement reads

This month's selection of science engagement papers, features, reports and news. Evidence-based education and impact, pedagogical strategies in multicultural contexts, art-science project revies, citizen science...

Museums as brokers of participation

In this article, Bandelli and Konijn "suggest that science centres and museums are regarded by their visitors as potential platforms to facilitate public participation in policy". Read it online.

EU solves scientific advice issue with panel

A seven-member science advice panel will replace the Chief Scientific Advisor position. More details in Science Business and the BBC website.

Ecsite thanks the writers who have generously contributed to this issue of Spokes. Don't hesitate to contact communications@ecsite.eu if you'd like to submit an idea for an article.

Spokes is the monthly digital magazine of Ecsite, the European network of science centres and museums. It is put together by the Spokes Editorial Committee:

Maarten Okkersen, Head of Communication and Marketing, Museon, The Hague, Netherlands – Chairperson
Julie Becker, Communications and Events Manager, Ecsite, Brussels, Belgium – Editor
Nathalie Caplet, International relations, Cap Sciences, Bordeaux, France
Raquel da Cunha, Events and Communications Officer, Ecsite, Brussels, Belgium
Gema Revuelta, Associate Professor, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain

Responsible editor: Catherine Franche, Executive Director for Association européenne des expositions scientifiques, techniques et industrielles, aisbl

Frequency: monthly since April 2015 - issue 8, May 2015