Inner and Outer Space
Background
One day Graham Reed and Amanda Fisher, who work at the Clinical Sciences Centre, got chatting about how some microscopic images look really similar to some telescopic images. One year later, with the help of Brona McVittie, they started the Scopic project.
Aim
The aim of this project is to engage young minds in science using the arts. We hope that this project will generate an enthusiasm for science subjects through its novel and creative approach. The project, if successful, will be repeated with different schools in the UK through the Medical Research Council and other European countries through the Epigenome NoE.
Scope
Twelve UK schools will create artwork inspired by the Scopic pairs for exhibition at the Royal Albert Hall and Durham University from May 2008. Schools will submit artwork through this website by March 7th 2008. Entries will be short-listed for exhibition in 2008 by an external panel of artists and scientists. The scope of the project is not limited to invited schools. Visitors to the this website are welcome to submit artwork to the online gallery.
Method
PLAY
The Scopic computer game :: Match up Scopic pairs from inner and outer space
CREATE
The Scopic competition :: Create your own Scopic pair for exhibition
CELEBRATE
An exhibition :: A celebration of the winning entries at the Royal Albert Hall and Durham University in 2008
Partner info
Royal Albert Hall Education
“This Hall was erected for the advancement of the Arts and Sciences and works of industry of all nations…” Prince Albert
The Royal Albert Hall was nearly called the Central Hall for Arts and Science. Close to the roof you can still see the frieze that commemorates Prince Albert’s vision for Kensington: an area to celebrate the Arts and Sciences. Albertopolis, which includes the Victoria & Albert Museum, Royal College of Music, Imperial College, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Royal Albert Hall, stand as testament to his dream.
Royal Albert Hall Education is delighted by the opportunities that Scopic offers as a way of integrating both art and science into a single project. The exhibition to be held at the Hall will be seen by over 100,000 people as they enter the auditorium. We are extremely excited by the project and exhibition in May and are grateful to all the project partners, teachers and pupils involved.
Royal Albert Hall Education has delivered a range of stimulating learning opportunities linked to the Hall’s calendar of events since 2003. From tours to school matinees, the team works with all age-groups to spark imagination, inspire creativity and open doors to new experiences and audiences
Alastair Tallon – Head of Education (Royal Albert Hall)
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to the many scientists that have endorsed this project by allowing us to use images of their research. See individual images for credit details and links to affiliate organisations. Grateful appreciation to Baroness Susan Greenfield, Dr Brian May, Sir Patrick Moore and Lord Robert Winston for helping to judge competition entries. Thanks also to Sara Merkenschlager and Dylan Halperin-Weller (age 11) for editorial advice.
Scale
Astronomical units: One light year is the distance that light travels in a year (in a vacuum), around 9.5 trillion kms
Biological units: One micron is a thousandth of a mm
Images
Many scientific images are false-colour, depending on the technology used. Images marked with an asterisk (*) have been colour-edited.
Contacts
Epigenome Network of Excellence
Curator
Brona McVittie
Public Science Communciations, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre
Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road
W12 0NN
www.epigenome.eu
brona.mcvittie@csc.mrc.ac.uk
Durham University
Science and Society Officer
Dr Pete Edwards
Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics
Durham University, Department of Physics, South Road
DH1 3LE
www.durham.ac.uk
p.j.edwards@durham.ac.uk
The Royal Albert Hall
Partner Schools' Coordinator
Rachel Farrell
Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore
SW7 2AP
www.royalalberthall.com
rachelf@royalalberthall.com
MRC Clinical Sciences Centre
Web Administrator
Adam Giess
www.csc.mrc.ac.uk
adam.giess@csc.mrc.ac.uk
