Interview on ipolizei.gr: Eleni Grammatikopoulou & Science Reactors

Eleni Grammatikopoulou & the Science Reactors bring Art & Science together

INTERVIEW ON ipolizei.gr

Eleni Grammatikopoulou did something very different from the usual: she decided to bring science closer to the general public!

Her passion for Science Communication led her to create the Science Reactors team, with the participation of young scientists who share the same vision and under the directorial guidance of Kostas Vrettos. The goal: showcasing science beyond… conventional methods (Stand up Science, Science on Stage, etc.). In fact, as part of a new series titled Close up, ERT made a documentary about the Science Reactors, an official selection at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival/2018.

Ms Grammatikopoulou served in the administration of the National Hellenic Research Foundation and for 20 years (1993 – 2013) was in charge of its cultural events programme «SCIENCE SOCIETY». At the same time she took part in the design of related European proposals and programmes, always aiming to spread research to the general public and to combat scientific illiteracy. Since June 2013, she has worked as a freelancer in the same field. She is a member of the committee for the design, organisation and promotion of the science festivals organised by Sci-Co, of the «HuB Science» programme, and of the European programmes Researcher’s Night and Pint of Science. She was recently honoured with the ASF18 award (Athens Science Festival) for her long-standing contribution to Science Communication. She has been President of the Greek Culture society «Magna Graecia» and a member of the «Society for the founding of a Maria Callas Academy». She has also worked in cinema as Production Manager on numerous historical/scientific documentaries, short films and advertising spots.

How would you define “Stand Up Science”?

A show by young scientists, in the footsteps of Stand up Comedy, with interesting scientific topics that concern us every day. The goal? Making science outward-facing, redefining the image of the researcher/scientist, approaching science in a way that is accessible, understandable and above all humorous.

How did the idea start?

The truth is it was quite a “bold” venture. But three things were decisive:

- My involvement (since 1993) in the field of science communication – something completely unknown at the time – as head of the “Science and Society” Programme of the National Hellenic Research Foundation brought me into contact with many distinguished scientists and made me realise the need to spread knowledge through a different way of “telling”. The greatest public interest was attracted, understandably, by those who used humour, inventiveness and eloquence.

- My involvement in organising Famelab (British Council), an international competition to showcase new talent in science communication

- My love for Stand up Comedy

A successful combination that gave birth to Stand up Science

Who are the Science Reactors? How many years have they been around? How do they combine Art, humour and science?

They are a group of young scientists, coming from various scientific fields, both the humanities and the sciences – with a talent for Science Communication, it is “built” gradually and constantly renewed. Today it numbers around 25 people. Since 2014 the SR have been working collectively with the aim of sparking, in an entertaining way, the curiosity and indeed the love of a mainly young audience for science. So the scientists take to the stage, turning difficult scientific topics into understandable stories. And above all, stories full of humour!

The myth that science and art are two completely separate and mutually conflicting worlds has long been overturned. Science and art are connected by more elements than we imagine! (see the Van Gogh exhibition, CERN's art@CMS programme, etc.) In this context we too wanted to make a different mark and contribute to science communication … otherwise (see our two actions below).

The group's actions:

Science on Stage

(Science on stage):

The Science of CSI: Crime in the lab and Atomic Dialogues: from raisin bread to quarks? two theatre performances, which draw their themes from phenomena and data of the sciences. They are presented and explained in an original, imaginative and engaging way.

Stand–up Science (modelled on Stand-up Comedy) where each scientist presents a scientific topic of their choice in their own personal style, showcasing their own communication skills, but above all their love and passion for science itself.

Do your performances also help us learn?

standup

They certainly contribute to learning, presenting it in the most engaging way as we pass on knowledge in an unconventional, modern, pioneering and above all inventive manner.

Are the performances aimed at a more specialised audience?

Our goal is to reach the general public — though from ages 15+. But the scientific community will certainly gain something too from this different approach to science.

According to which factors do you choose the venues where the events will be presented?

First and foremost we are interested in taking part in science festivals and scientific events — something we have achieved from 2014 to today — but also in venues directly linked to the promotion/communication of science. At the same time, though, we also organise performances as our own productions.

On 13 December you will be at Herakleidon Museum. Why there? What different should we expect?

Herakleidon Museum is an excellent venue that has offered a lot to the dissemination of science with events that combine Art with Science. Our collaboration began in December 2018. The public turnout was so great that a large number of people were left outside, so we repeated it in early January.

This year's performance has a special character. It is aimed at a more demanding audience! Through entertaining monologues, but in dialogue with the audience and adopting a more theatrical style, we will try to overturn various scientific dogmas and “fake news” obsessions that have been flooding us for a long time, and also to present science differently… in our familiar subversive way.

What are the group's future plans?

Its continuous expansion with new people — after all, the texts are often renewed and the faces alternate in every performance, except for the presenter. At the same time, we want to open up new collaborations, ‘flirting’ with other art forms too: music, movement, graffiti. With music we have already taken the first steps and we present the song: «All the sciences together!». In addition, we have prepared a piece that we have presented at two Tedxkids. Recently, and specifically at Athens Science Festival 19, we adopted a new performance format:

Presentations with a single theme. For example, at ASF, whose central theme was recycling, sustainable development and the circular economy, our performance had the theme Re-think (re-use, re-duce, re-cycle). And indeed the audience was impressed!!

Are you active outside Attica too?

Yes, we have appeared in Thessaloniki — where a corresponding team of Science Reactors already exists — in Patras, Larissa, Chalkida, and on 29 November we will take part, invited by the University there, in the celebration organised by the Department of Computer Science with Applications in Biomedicine of the University of Thessaly for its 15 years of operation (Municipal Theatre of Lamia).