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Programme

The 2023 Ecsite Conference 15-17 June 2023 at the Mediterranean Convention Centre in Valetta, Malta, hosted by Esplora Interactive Science Centre.

Take a look at the inspiring programme of sessions, networking meetings and social events.

09:00 - 10:15

Republic Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Science ♥ society
Clara BoisseninMarjana BrkićRyan TitleyAnna ArisMichael Creek

Why do we always (or very often) include the concept of “labs” in our societal engagement processes and projects? Beyond the buzz world, do we even know what a lab is and what we expect from it? Is it really an asset to attract citizens,...

Malta Experience Auditorium
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Research, theory & evaluation
Vanessa MignanLaurence PopeBethan RossAnnette LeinShaun UssherAndrew Newman

Evaluation can both use equitable and inclusive methodologies and support equitable and inclusive practice in STEM communication. As equity and inclusion has been forefronted in science communication, so too have content producers, researchers...

Michel'Angelo Grima Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Science ♥ society
Clayton CutajarEdward DucaIrene MangionNoam ObermeisterJennifer Cassingena harper

How can organisations like science museums and universities foster activism and active citizenship on major social issues through education, advocacy and engagement? How do science, society and policymaking interact? How can we involve and then...

Michel'Angelo Grima Hall Annex
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Learning
Sheldon PaquinHenna BhattiRaphael ChanayAlexandra Burch

Interactive galleries are fun, exciting, and essential in captivating minds of the future. Enticing our visitors – especially the young - to use their skills, experiment - being curious, looking closely and thinking creatively is at the heart of...

Vassali Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Science ♥ society
Camilla Rossi-LinnemannPedro RussoMarina LeonardJavier Hidalgo Gil

Today, when we speak of science and technology we also speak of their social, emotional, philosophical, political, and economic dimensions.

Yet we often a struggle to bring different voices together on problematic topics, especially if we...

David Bruce Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Strategy & vision
Inger HøstmarkRandi Helen KopperudInki BrownClaire Bevan

Customers keep demanding more sustainable products, but can a science centre retail shop be sustainable, and what would that mean? Where do we start? How do we get the suppliers on board? And what makes a product sustainable?

In this...

Girolamo Cassar Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Strategy & vision
Marjolein van BreemenDaniel TanBrad IrwinJim Broughton

This session brings together two world-renowned organisations who have reached major inflection points that they are using as catalysts for change, and to anchor their grand plans for the future. Each needs to address how to adapt for...

10:30 - 11:30

Republic Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Rob Hopkins

From What Is to What If: why the next 10 years needs to feel like a revolution of the imagination

Delivered online, but exclusively for Conference attendees, Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition movement, will share his...

11:30 - 12:00

Sacra Infermeria Hall

Coffee Break

12:00 - 13:15

Republic Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Strategy & vision
Mikko MyllykoskiMaria João FonsecaSheena LaursenChristian SichauGiselle Calleja

The sustainability of the Ecsite Conference has been a hot topic for several years. If climate crisis is one of the community's strategic commitments - how do we make sure that our annual meeting's negative impact on the environment is minimised...

Malta Experience Auditorium
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Strategy & vision
Raul Corrêa-SmithLath CarlsonMaria Isabel GarciaStefan Brandt

There is a growing embrace of UNESCO’s Futures Literacy framework as a key capability for the 21st Century. A broad international movement of institutions is dedicated to Futures Literacy. Many of them are assembled in a newly-founded worldwide...

Michel'Angelo Grima Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Science ♥ society
Rosaria Carbone Lorenzo GesuitaKostas NikolopoulosPedro Russo

Quantum physics and technology, neutron stars and supernovae, Artificial Intelligence, death of brain cells…The mysteries of these topics provide compelling inspiration for scientists, artists, and the general public.

Through creative...

Michel'Angelo Grima Hall Annex
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Business & fundraising
Adam SandersRachel BatesonAgnes RuizJoy LatourFelicity Sylvester

Travelling exhibitions and partnership work present opportunities for cultural institutions to reach new audiences and develop revenue streams beyond traditional means. Institutions are disrupting their traditional models to rethink and expand...

Vassali Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Research, theory & evaluation
Ilona Iłowiecka-TańskaRyan AusterInga SpechtSiëlle GramserMarie HobsonAnna Bause

Although science centres collect a vast amount of visitor-related data (e.g. ticket sales, attendance numbers), few collect them in ways that allow performance to be benchmarked against others. This is because museums vary widely in their...

David Bruce Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Equity & Inclusion
Jen DeWittMegan EnnesGabriela HeckSandra CorbeilElizabeth RasekoalaCatherine Paisley

Hear from practitioners from diverse settings about their work in STEM Equity. See how international practitioners approach STEM Equity, the unique challenges they face and what tools and frameworks they used to inform their thinking and their...

Girolamo Cassar Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Lauren Vargas

Learn how to assess your organisation's digital maturity and explore innovative approaches to digitalisation.

A digital maturity model is not meant to be a checklist or a one-time exercise or application, but acts as a systematic tool to...

Tinkering and Making Space (La Cassiere Hall)
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
James Dimech

Adorning the human form, art comes alive.
The Goddess’s essence, inspired by Earth, Yearning for love, a planet’s rebirth. Unified by centre, Earth’s heart beats, Above, the Sky, below Sea’s mystical feats.

James Dimech presents:...

13:15 - 14:30

La Valette Hall

Lunch break

14:30 - 15:45

Republic Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Strategy & vision
Marjolein van BreemenLuigi AmodioSofia LucasAnna GunnarssonCatherine OualianJoseph Roche

This reverse session is intended to be an opportunity for discussion and exchange of experiences and development of new ideas between the participants, on how to keep alive the relationship with publics and stakeholders, considering the...

Malta Experience Auditorium
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Exhibit development
Inger HøstmarkVesa LepistöRosalina BabourkovaLiv Inger ChristiansenHenna BhattiDuncan Smith

The Supreme Court of the Ecsite Conference is set once again – this time to decide whether co-creation of exhibitions should be sent to jail.

After developing new exhibitions we are always left with the same questions: Did the audience...

Michel'Angelo Grima Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Science ♥ society
Claudia AguirreSet SolisAlejandra CastellanosJuliana RestrepoLuisa MassaraniClaudia Aguirre

In this session, speakers will share their experiences related to STEM engagement. Drawn from professional experience, these projects invite museums and institutions to think and work differently.

This panel will present 5 distinct...

Michel'Angelo Grima Hall Annex
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Strategy & vision
Agnes RuizPauline RobertSheldon PaquinStephen WhiteHélène Wang

With more and more organisations focusing their work on climate issues and biodiversity loss, there is an opportunity to connect and partner with scientific institutions around the world to create global programmes that are locally more relevant...

Vassali Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Exhibit development
Raphael ChanayLizzy BakkerAdrien StalterJürgen Öhlinger

Designing exhibitions on the climate and energy crisis is a duty for us, professionals from science centres or museums, as well as an almost impossible mission due to the complexity of the theme, its societal ramifications and implications for us...

David Bruce Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Learning
Shaun UssherSabrina Vitting-SeerupKhalil Thirlaway

Roleplaying is becoming a popular device for learning. It allows participants to step into important roles, socially experiment and take risks in a safe supportive environment. It promotes adventure, curiosity, and agency, and can be done...

Girolamo Cassar Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street

Learn how to assess your organisation's digital maturity and explore innovative approaches to digitalisation.

A digital maturity model is not meant to be a checklist or a one-time exercise or application, but acts as a systematic tool to...

Tinkering and Making Space (La Cassiere Hall)
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Strategy & vision
Tobias WolffRauno BergmanYihsuan Lin

Tinkering activities and Making has become an integral part in many science centres and museums. Often these activities take place in separated areas, maker spaces or tinkering facilities. They guarantee an atmosphere of creativity as well as for...

15:45 - 16:30

Sacra Infermeria Hall

Coffee Break

16:30 - 17:45

Republic Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Science ♥ society
Martin KulhawczukAnna GunnarssonRebecca KlemmPedro PomboMarco MirandaMarta IglewskaNatalia ArciszewskaFederica TamburriniIan RussellEva HaasNatalie WallsFrederic LindboeMichael BradkeOla KleivenRonen MirHanne Kile Andersen

Welcome to the Grand Bazaar, an informal drop-in session featuring dozens of table-top activities – and their facilitators. This long-time favourite session returns to take you on a creative and inspiring journey with spicy experiments, hands-on...

Malta Experience Auditorium
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street

Join a conversation with this year's Beacon of the Year Mariano Gago Ecsite award winner.

This award is the lifetime achievement award for science engagement professionals in Europe and is awarded to inspirational...

Michel'Angelo Grima Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Equity & Inclusion
Diana Escobar VicentMaite PelachoFrancisco SanzDacha Atienza

Citizen science is in constant growth, in terms of knowledge areas, projects, science engagement organisations, publications, geographical areas, physical and virtual spaces, impacts and, hopefully, participants’ profiles. A relevant issue...

Michel'Angelo Grima Hall Annex
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Learning
Greta AlliajClaudia AguirreCyril DworskyLaia Vives Adrián‫Chagit TishlerCristina Olivotto

Many EU-funded projects have been exploring the potential of Open Schooling to equip students with the skills they need in tomorrow’s world. These projects created methodologies, community platforms, guidelines, kits, sets of activities,...

Vassali Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Equity & Inclusion
Tobias KöstersAndreas MattSteph MuscatClara BoisseninStephanos Cherouvis

Open licenses such as Creative Commons are increasingly used to share creative works. However, in science engagement activities such as exhibitions, workshops and other programming, sharing the results via open licenses seems to be largely off...

David Bruce Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Equity & Inclusion
Antonia CaolaBronwyn O'ReillyAmparo Leyman PinoHanouf Al-Alawi Ryan SchuesslerUlrike SmalleyIris OttChristina Brandenberger

Museums aim to be welcoming spaces, and public programmes are created with the intention of reaching the widest possible audiences. How can we ensure the language we use helps us to achieve these goals? What can we do to make sure that the way we...

Girolamo Cassar Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street
Strategy & vision
Matteo MerzagoraPedro PomboIlona Iłowiecka-TańskaPedro Russo

Productive interfaces between research institutions and other social actors are becoming an intrinsic feature of knowledge production for the XXI century. What is the role of science centres in the process of production of knowledge? What unique...

18:00 - 18:45

Republic Hall
Mediterranean Conference Centre
Old Hospital Street

Say goodbye and thank you to our 2023 hosts and discover who will welcome us in 2024.

21:00 - 02:00

Café del Mar
Cafe del Mar
Triq it-Trunciera

The Farewell Party is the Conference’s most informal social event: chat, share a drink with other participants and dance the night away to say goodbye to friends, colleagues and our excellent Conference Host!