Two GYA members were invited to pitch science-media projects at the Industry Days of Documentary Campus, which took place in connection with the science-media Silbersalz Festival fin Halle (Saale), Germany.
Tomislav Meštrović (University North, University centre Varaždin, Croatia) and Encieh Erfani (Mainz University, Germany) were selected to take part in science commnication training and work together with paired artists over the last six months, culminating in their project pitches. With a focus on diversity in science and research, the fellowship aims to bring scientific topics into mainstream media while fostering understanding of complex issues.
Tomislav paired with musician Camilla Saunders to present the idea “Microbial Metropolis and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)“, a dynamic and creative exploration of the world of gut microbiota and the challenges of AMR in form of a musical. They pitched this idea to a wide array of interested stakeholders, aiming to secure further interest in the future.
Through engaging storytelling and musical performance, the audience witnessed how bacterial resilience can be shown in an interactive manner, including their strategies for survival; moreover, the pitch emphasized the dangers of resistant bacteria for individuals and societies, and highlighted the role of probiotics and responsible antibiotic use in maintaining microbial balance.
Tomislav brought his extensive expertise in AMR, drawing on his research as a member of the Oxford/IHME GRAM team. His work focuses on the global and regional burden of AMR, offering crucial insights into the public health implications of resistance. Camilla Saunders, a renowned musician and composer, used her expertise to bring scientific concepts to life through an emotive musical narrative. The musical merges science and art to effectively communicate the critical issue of one of the world’s biggest public health threats.
Encieh Erfani pitched the project “Void of Voids“. As a cosmologist, Encieh researches space, including voids: places where nothing exists. When she resigned from her faculty position in Iran, in solidarity with the 2022 protests against the regime, she entered a void herself. The project pitch – an interactive graphic novel in collaboration with Jacobo Sacquegno – tells her story of exile, and overcoming the void by using her voice, also to speak for others in similar situations.