Almost 200 years after the discovery of Neanderthals, they keep experts and non-experts passioned.
The growing complexity of the scientific jargon reflects how much research has developed, but it also creates a barrier between scientists and the public. Hence, it is imperative to expand our capacities to communicate with the society and to make of this task a mission. The aim of this training school is to provide a diversity of means to communicate with the public taking into considerations its characteristics (age, condition, education) and their role in society (students, general, decision-makers, stakeholders). The three days will have theoretical and practical activities about three main issues. On the first day we will focus on the past, present and future of Neanderthal image. On the second day we will focus on the physical and digital ways of communicating. On the third day we will focus on ways of interact with the public.
Trainers:
Telmo Pereira, Autonomous University of Lisbon, Portugal
Ivor Janković, Institute for Anthropological Research, Croatia
Sanjin Mihelic, Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, Croatia
Sara Cura, Social Communication School of the Polytechnic of Lisbon, Portugal
Pedro Cura, Prehistoriskills, Portugal
Program:
8h30 – 9h00 – Arrival and registration of the participants
Telmo Pereira
9h00 – 9h30 – Welcome and introduction to the seminar structure and schedule.
Telmo Pereira, Ivor Janković and Sanjin Mihelic
9h30 – 11h00 – Valuing the local Neanderthals – Often people are aware of Neandertal heritage in their homelands but feel that don’t know enough about it. Offering to them dedicated and understandable information is a service that opens doors to partnerships.
Telmo Pereira
11h00-11h30 – Coffee-break
11h30 – 13h00 – Unlocking Science: find your voice through science communication Podcasts – Communicating science through podcasts offers numerous advantages, making it an increasingly popular and effective medium for engaging with audiences. By creating a Podcast, we can provide a dynamic platform for the science community to share knowledge, inspire curiosity, and bridge the gap between the scientific community and the general public.
Key features are: Accessibility; Engaging Format; Diverse Content; Expert Interviews; Short or Long form contents; Fostering curiosity; Community Building; Adaptabilty; Cost-Effective; Personal Connection.
Sara Cura
13h00-14h30 – Lunch break
14h30 – 17h00 – From Ideas to Airwaves: Crafting Your Own Science Podcast about Neanderthals – Practical activity: Concept creation: subject, audience and narrative; Planning Episodes: alignment, Hosting and interviews preparation, episode content organization; Recording and Editing: equipment and platforms upload; Promotion: listeners’ attraction and Social Media.
Sara Cura
9h30 – 11h00 – Evolution of the Neanderthal portrait – An overview about how Neanderthals have been pictured and described since their recognition as a different human group, considering the reconstructions of Kupka’s in 1909 and Mauro Cutrona in 2011.
Ivor Janković
11h00-11h30 – Coffee-break
11h30-13h00 – Neanderthal display – We will guide you through some ways that were proven to be successful in bringing the public to the Museums to watch exhibitions and attend activities about Neanderthals.
Sanjin Mihelic
13h00-14h30 – Lunch break
14h30-17h00 – New trends on presenting Neanderthal – Taking into consideration the changes on how Neanderthals were described and the relation between these changes with the evolution of science and society, identify new trends for catching the attention of Generation Z and Gen Alpha in the scope of the challenges of the 21st Century.
Ivor Janković and Sanjin Mihelic
9h30 – 11h00 – Discussion
Monitoring the feedback and self-assessment about the audio.
Everyone
11h00-11h30 – Coffee-break
11h30 – 13h00 – Neanderthal skills – Experimental archaeology is an amazing icebreaker to bring Prehistoric
populations, including Neanderthals, closer to people and vice-versa, but besides the action the speech must be adjusted to each audience.
Pedro Cura
13h00-14h30 – Lunch break
14h30 – 16h30 – Open door – Activity for the public.
Pedro Cura
16h30 – 17h00 – Discussion – Final discussion and conclusions.
Everyone