(em)Powering Creativity: art and science workshops

The event was led by Alessandro Rossi, IHE Impact Fellow alum and Research Fellow in UCL Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, and Rebecca Goh, an interdisciplinary artist. 

Throughout the week, attendees explored the themes of light and energy with the opportunity to create cyanotype botanical prints, self-portraits with x-ray imaging, infrared collages and sustainable zine-making. They were also introduced to the ways x-ray phase contrast imaging is used in healthcare, and the potential ways it can improve patient outcomes. 

Things rounded off with a public exhibition co-created with the young people, families, and residents who engaged with the workshop, featuring interactive installations, sculptures, graphic novels and artist statements. Attendees ranged from 5 to 90 years old! 

The programme was a collaboration between UCL and local organisations, Banister House Solar and the London School of Solarpunk.  

Alessandro Rossi (he/him) 

Research Fellow, UCL Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering 

How did you meet Rebecca and what inspired you to work together on this project? 

I met Rebecca through the Trellis project, a programme aimed to create connections between UCL researchers and east London artists and communities. As an adopted East Londoner myself, I entered the meet and greet event with a lot of enthusiasm and that was instantly matched by Rebecca – a local artist whose drive and competence strikes everyone they meet.  

Rebecca was interested in exploring the artistic potential that x-rays and their capability to penetrate beyond what is visible to the human eye can have. I was interested in making that happen and liked the attitude and taste Rebecca brought to the table, so the decision to collaborate came naturally. 

How did the IHE Impact Fellowship help shape your ideas? 

The IHE Impact Fellowship strongly shaped and bolstered my skills in public engagement. Engaging with the public, conveying my message in an engaging way, sharing my enthusiasm towards my research with other people are all skills that IHE Impact Fellowship provided me with.  

On top of that, once we received the news from the Trellis board that unfortunately our project was not accepted for funding, Alice Hardy (IHE Communications and Impact Manager) helped us to refocus our plan and reshape our ideas and successfully found a plan B! In other words, this would not have happened without the Impact Fellowship. 

What did you learn from working with Rebecca, and what did you learn from participants?  

Working with Rebecca definitely taught me a lot about resilience! They were able to not lose the optimism required for the project to go through and finally found the right context for it in Chats Palace by welcoming on board Eva and Oli from London School of Solar Punk. Everyone involved brought their unique perspective onto the project and helped me broaden my outlook on my own research field.  

What was the highlight from the project for you? 

Definitely the people attending the workshops. It is often easy to forget that we are part of a community and our wellbeing, as well as personal growth, thrive with our communities. Spending time with people of all ages, from different backgrounds, just freely exchanging artistic ideas and talking about science, light, and x-rays was so refreshing and rewarding. This is what is all about after all, isn't it? 

Any advice for researchers and public engagement practitioners looking to combine art and science in practice? 

Find yourself a brilliant artist like Rebecca to collaborate with, listen to their ideas and be open to different approaches on how to tackle any step of the process. Be open to change your lexicon and adapt it to the listener to captivate its interest and do not expect everyone to be passionate about your research or science in general as much as you are. And that's why artistic endeavours like the workshops we held with Rebecca and our collaborators are a great way to ease your way in and share your knowledge - while making a collage or a zine drinking a nice cup of coffee. 

Rebecca Goh (they/them) 

Interdisciplinary artist 

From an artistic standpoint, what did you find inspiring about x-ray imaging? What was it like to work with as a medium/creative springboard? 

Initial conversations with Alessandro about his department's recent innovations in x-ray technology unearthed extraordinary intersections that really excited me as an artist. We started thinking about the scientific, mathematical, and cartographical traditions of utilising the letter 'X' to denote the unknown / what needed to be solved, and the constant human need to venture beyond our physical limitations — to see what cannot be perceived with the naked eye, and to look beneath the surface.  

Working with the more-than-human world is core to my creative practice in theatrical storytelling, and I was already conducting research into ecoscenography and the patterns we share with our environment, such as fractals, spirals, and symmetry. Coincidentally the development of phase contrast imaging allows us to see these patterns in more detail. The images that were being produced by this new technology were absolutely fascinating, and I was inspired to design a workshop that facilitated an understanding of X-rays through self-portraiture, collage-making, and nature photography. I wanted to highlight the similarities between us and the world we inhabit, and how X-rays can be a visual reminder of these hidden resonances. 

What did you learn from working with Alessandro and the participants? 

Collaborating with Alessandro and Ash was an incredible experience. Science was my first obsession growing up, and this project became the perfect combination of my interests in physics and art-making. I had the opportunity to visit the laboratory at UCL, test the equipment, understand the fundamentals of phase contrast imaging, and to learn processing software from an industry that is new to me. Alessandro is a great science communicator, which meant that I was able to offer explanations about the technology to curious participants in an accessible way. 

All of the participants engaged with the workshop differently — but they were all extremely creative and repurposed the x-ray images and photographs in exciting ways which were entirely unexpected. The workshop offered a space for participants to celebrate personal stories through their self-portraits, and to connect with each other and the more-than-human world. I have gained new perspectives through facilitating with them, and I was privy to local East London histories which came up organically in conversations. 

How did you find and work with your grassroots partners? 

My grassroots partners were Banister House Solar, and the London School of Solarpunk — both of whom are based in Hackney.  

I met Éva Goudouneix through the London School of Solarpunk, a diverse collective of activists from a wide range of industries all sharing a passion for sustainability and nature. Éva wanted to run creative energy workshops at Chats Palace, which is the arts centre where I am currently the Community Engagement Producer. We realised that there was a synergy between our projects, and we decided to co-create a series of events about light and energy with a focus on X-rays, infrared waves, and sunlight. Éva works for Banister House Solar too, and they came onboard as green energy experts and provided additional funding for the combined programme. 

What was the highlight from the project for you? 

The highlight was being a part of a space that enabled individuals to engage with scientific concepts and creative expression equally. We had participants ranging from 5 to 90 years of age, and they all had eye-opening perspectives that continue to inspire me as an artist. I met schoolteachers, engineers, fashion designers, carpenters, other community organisers, and their families through this programme, and I was able to have an insight into their lives and identities through the workshops. Demystifying x-rays for participants from all walks of life was an achievement for both Alessandro and myself too. 

Acknowledgments 

Facilitators / Lead Artists / Curators: Rebecca Goh, Éva Goudouneix, Oli Connor 

Scientist and Researcher Collaborators: Dr. Alessandro Rossi, Dr. Ash Ajeer, Dr. Carlos Navarrete-Leon