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Science gets cinematic

16.06.2023 | 12:00 - 13:15

Friday 16 Jun 2023

16.06.2023 | 12:00 - 13:15

12:00 - 13:15

David Bruce Hall

David Bruce Hall
Science ♥ society

'Science on Screen' is a collaborative public engagement programme established in 2015 through partnership between CÚRAM, a Science Foundation Ireland medical device research centre and Ardán, a non-profit organisation supporting creatives within the audio-visual industry in Ireland. The seven half-hour documentaries produced through the programme have reached over 1.3 million viewers worldwide, had 11 national broadcasts, been screened at 31 different film festivals in 17 countries and won six international awards. This session will showcase the Science on Screen partnership and production model, inviting participants to first view trailers of the Science on Screen films, and together with a panel of filmmakers, patients and researchers, explore film as a method of scientific storytelling and hear about the impact of participation from contributors who have been involved in the programme.

Outcomes: what will participants get from this session? Skills, knowledge, experience etc.

Participants will learn how the Science on Screen model was developed, about funding and budget allowances for filmmakers and the impact that participation in the programme has had on all contributors, i.e. researchers, patients and families as well as filmmakers. The session will speak to the importance of building trust within these partnerships to create engaging, emotive films that speak to public audiences about the importance of current research and how it affects our quality of life.

Session speakers

Eilis Dowd
Professor in Pharmacology & Therapeutics
University of Galway
Galway
Ireland
Prof Eilis Dowd, former President of Neuroscience Ireland and Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology at University of Galway, was one of the first senior researchers to take part in the Science on Screen programme in 2016 and will speak to how participation in this programme has impacted on her research, about the opportunities that still come from her involvement and it has led to her integrating science communication as a final year project option for her undergraduate pharmacology students at University of Galway, Ireland.
Kenny Gaughan
Project Co-Ordinator - Ardán
Ardán
Galway
Ireland
Twitter
Mr Kenny Gaughan is a producer, director and videographer and founder of 'The Little Cinema' in Galway, Ireland. He works as project manager with Ardán and will speak about his involvement in the Science on Screen programme both from the perspective of programme partners and as a filmmaker looking at the value that the funding and access to STEM laboratories and researchers brings to filmmakers interested in exploring science and storytelling.
Image of Claire Riordan
Claire Riordan
Public Engagement Manager
CÚRAM, SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices
Galway
Ireland
Twitter
Claire Riordan is the Communications and Public Engagement Manager at CÚRAM, the SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices. In 2016 with seed funding from Science Foundation Ireland she created the Science on Screen programme. She will introduce the session, manage the screening, explain the engagement model and production process and facilitate the Q&A at the end of the session.
Niamh Heery
Filmmaker
SwanSong Films
Irish filmmaker working in documentary and fiction. Her documentary work has won the Radharc Award, Moondance, the ICCL Human Rights Film Award and Mary Raftery Journalism Fund. Fiction pieces have won the Irish Writer’s Guild Zebbie Award, the RTÉ/Galway Film Centre Short Film Award and has been shortlisted for the RTE Francis McManus Prize. She is known for working with international non-profits and NGOs and has directed on RTÉ documentary series. Niamh was nominated for the ADIFF Discovery Award in 2016. She has been funded three times by Screen Ireland/Fís Éireann’s short documentary and drama schemes and her feature drama Down by Your Side participated in the POV development scheme for female filmmakers.
Tom Hope
Patient advocate
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Tom Hope is a retired accountant and father of three, from Co. Meath in Ireland. Tom was diagnosed with prostate cancer 10 years ago, aged 62. A subsequent biopsy revealed that he had low-grade prostate cancer. He was given the option of surgery to remove the prostate or to go on active surveillance. He has been on active surveillance for ten years and thankfully the cancer has not spread. Tom is a member of The Patient Voice in Cancer Research steering committee since 2016. The initiative builds connections between researchers and patients so that together they can focus on projects that will benefit cancer patients. Tom has been part of the Irish Cancer Society’s Peer to Peer Support Service since 2013. He also volunteered with the charity as a driver, bringing cancer patients to hospital for chemotherapy treatment. He is the Secretary/Treasurer with Men Against Cancer, a prostate cancer support group, and a patient representative on the National Cancer Control Programme Prostate Update Guidelines Development Group. In 2021, he was invited to join the All-Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI) as a patient representative. Tom will join the session remotely to share her insights into the patient experience.
Rachel O'Mahony
Patient advocate
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Rachel O’Mahony is married to Declan, and living in the West of Ireland with their three cats. Her background is in financial services having worked in banking for 23 years. She took a change of direction in 2013 and returned to full time education as a mature student and completed her degree in Business in 2017. She then worked with advocacy groups supporting people in financial difficulty. Rachel has always been interested in people and sharing knowledge and information and supporting others and volunteering plays a big role in Rachel’s life. Rachel will join the session remotely to share her insights into the patient experience.

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