SUMMER WORKSHOP 20051. Project name:
DIALOGUE between SCIENCE and ART
International Summer Workshop
From 10 to 20 July 2005, Hluboká nad Vltavou
Country:Czech Republic
Name of the Organization: Civic Action Group "Dialogue between Science and Art"
Contact Person: RNDr. Michal Giboda, Ph.D.
Address: Jivenska 3, 373 71 RUDOLFOV
Tel.: Stationary ++420 387 229 140; Mobil- 732 939 561
E-mail: giboda@volny.cz
Bank Account Numer: 32142 142, Bank code 2700, HVB Bank Czech Republic a. s.
3. Project Description
Aim: The Civic Action Group "Dialogue between Science and Art" (further Civic group) was established in 2002 in order to address two issues: (i)The better understanding of science and technology in society; (ii) To make science more attractive to the young generation who are losing interest in the study of science and engineering. This is not a problem which faces the Czech Republic alone, although everyone understands that science and technology drive progress and improve economy "based on the knowledge". Science- driven progress is not a one-way street. It can create risks which generate constant pressure for change in our social, moral and cultural order that society does not always welcome.
Looking at the options of how to make a break into the public mind, we do think that art, as a generally accepted social phenomenon, could be used as an efficient vehicle. Fact, both scientist's and artist's activities require similar personal qualities such as creativity, vision and abstraction, contemporary science and art have found gaps in each other that require filling. Specific scientific findings have frequently thrown up challenging new ways of thinking about the world and our place in it, ripe for artistic interpretation. Science can provide some artists with inspiration in the area of medium, message and location. Some argue that art takes much and gives little to the scientific world; others argue that the world of science can gain in many different ways from the arts, bringing new perspectives and insights.
The true power of science and art, as a union, is not what science can learn from art in terms of practical breakthroughs, but what it can gain from art in terms of building a more engaged relationship with the public. Creative art can have just as strong an impact as initiatives in education, such as science centers, practical workshops, theatre. It is more than simply a means of increasing public confidence in science; it is rather a different "pair of glasses" through which to understand science, especially among the youth.
Taking into consideration the second goal of our activities, our Civic group is planning to organize Workshops for high school and university students from 7 to 17 July 2005. This 10 days summer workshop will take place in Hluboka nad Vltavou (www.hluboka.cz) in the facility of Townshend International School which is a boarding school offering excellent accommodation and conditions for scientific and artistic activities.
Target groups are high school and university students from around the world. At the moment, students and teachers from Taiwan, Finland, Italy, and Czech Republic have confirmed attendance.. We hope to have students from Lithuania, Netherlands and others. (Negotiations are in progress). We expect roughly 40 participants plus around 10 instructors from which 3-4 instructors will be present on alternate days.
Activities: The Civic Group has already organized two workshops in the years 2003 and 2004. Both were well received and the last one (organized in 2004) was awarded , "Highly Commended" for Youth Knowledge Network Taiwan and Czech Republic on the project "Dialogue between Taiwan and the Czech Republic" by a Jury of Netd@ys 2004, an initiative of the European Commission (see www.sciart-cz.tk).
The main objective of the 2005 workshop, labeled: The Bridges and Valleys- DIALOGUE between SCIENCE and ART, is to make science friendly to the participants not only in term of understanding , but to see science as a great resource for visual and performing arts, by nurturing one's creativity through visualization exercises, guided automatic drawing and writing, and making miniature projects. Workshop instructors (both scientists and artists) will discuss how to stay inspired, how to get over the fear of failure, and how to develop a daily practice of creative work. The participants will do their work individually but also in groups of two - to learn how collaboration can assist our individual creative endeavors.
Various techniques will be implemented in order to achieve those goals: drawing and painting, taking photographs, making a short film, making a short presentation from all visual artifacts, using the computer and data projector, and creating a diary to register the emotional state of mind rather than chronological registration of the daily events.
The inspiration will come also from visits to different environments such as The Planetarium, Electron microscope facility (www.paru.cas.cz/lem/index.htm) and a trip to Cesky Krumlov, (www.ckrumlov.cz/uk) the town on the UNESCO heritage list.
We already confirmed the attendance of the following artists and scientists:
-Hunter O'Reilly, PhD, (USA), artist and geneticist;
-RNDr. František Weyda, PhD, Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS), member of the Council of CAS for popularization of the science, specialist in electron microscopy and digital photography,
-Prof. RNDr. Peter Vopěnka, former Minister for Education, mathematician and philosopher awarded in 2004 the prize of Olga and Vaclav Havel;
-Prof. Dr. Jozef Kelemen, Institute of Computer Science, Silesian University, Opava, specialist in robotic science;
-Čihařová Linda, Academy of Arts, Design and Architecture, Prague, multimedia artist;
-Kateřina Mikulcová, documentary film maker, Prague;
-Jaroslav Krček, composer and conductor, Musica Bohemica, Prague,
-Tomáš Proll, sculpting and drawing, České Budějovice;
-Prof. Milan Knižák, director of The National Gallery in Prague.
Dip. Ing. Roman Miler, film editor
Prof. Stanislav Diviš, director of the atelier "Painting" at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, Prague.
We believe that such types of international, intercultural activities will slowly break down the prejudice barrier built among the nations of the past. The accent is on collaboration in the international environment on subjects of mutual interest such as science and art.
That is additional reason to organize such an international event!
4. Workshop fee.
High school and university students are charged 200,00.- EURO for 10 days stay all included (accommodation, food, material for artistic activities, access to Internet, transfer and excursion fee). Transport to the site of the workshop is responsibility of every participant.
Seminar program
