Transgressing the Disciplines Using Science as a Meeting Place: The Science, Art and Writing Initiative

Abstract

Scientists need specialized vocabularies to communicate effectively with each other. It is critical, however, that they do not become so immersed in their fields that they lose the ability to engage with the wider world. It is, after all, the needs and concerns of the wider world that shape the direction of scientific research and the application of its outputs. Science is not restricted to laboratories; it is an integral part of our everyday lives. Science, Art and Writing (SAW) is a cross-disciplinary education initiative that uses science as a meeting place. Projects are planned and delivered by a team of scientists, artists and writers working closely with the class teacher. Each project has a scientific theme supported by scientific images that have been carefully chosen to intrigue. The theme and images are used as the starting point for practical science, art and writing sessions. In this chapter, I summarize the SAW initiative and its application in a recent series of projects to engagement on a particular societal problem – the issue of pandemic diseases and antimicrobial resistance. In these projects, we have challenged children to consider, compose and create around themes of basic bacteriology, antibiotic discovery and state-of-the-art rapid diagnostic equipment.