Science blends with art for schools’ project

CHILDREN in Sheffield are using artwork to inspire the next generation of bioscientists.

Working with artist Steve Poole, the pupils’ artwork is featured in a new “zine” sent to every secondary school in South Yorkshire

The zine is a legacy project from last November’s BioFest, which attracted over 225,000 people to a series of bioscience public engagement events at the University of Sheffield. The project brought schoolchildren, researchers and educators together to explore humanity’s biggest challenge.

The pupils – from Forge Valley School, Sheffield Springs Academy, Westfield Secondary School, Stocksbridge School and Chaucer School – began working with the artist ahead of BioFest. The event showcased world-leading research from the School of Biosciences, making it accessible to new audiences in a fun and engaging way.

In a series of workshops, pupils from each Sheffield school were paired with a different global challenge. They then created artwork that expressed their hopes, fears and ideas for solutions, all while learning about how bioscience researchers are working to address these challenges.

The pupils’ finished work was incorporated into an eight-minute film, which was projected on to the wall of the University’s Firth Hall building during the festival. The display along with other films, podcasts and exhibitions from the event are available at the University of Sheffield Player.

And their work now has a permanent legacy in the BioFest zine, which captures BioFest 2023’s unique exploration into the world of bioscience.

Professor Matt Johnson, from the School of Biosciences, said: “Working with local schools around Sheffield has been a tremendous experience for us at the university.

“We’ve been able to talk to schoolchildren about the major issues facing humankind in the next 50 years and discuss how our research is addressing those key challenges. In return we’ve been privy to a fresh perspective from keen and creative young minds asking thoughtful and incisive questions.”

Greg Oldfield, Head of Public Engagement at the University of Sheffield, said: “We were blown away by the enthusiasm and creativity of the pupils involved in BioFest. They should be very proud of what they’ve achieved.”