It’s the official launch of the Black Box3 project!
BLACK BOX3: Unboxinginvites artists and scientists at Northumbria University to present short 10-minute ‘unboxing’ talks: to share their research (or reveal their wildest research dreams), invite questions and solicit interdisciplinary relationships. The event includes talks and film screenings from two existing collaborative projects between the Arts and Applied Sciences at Northumbria University, ‘unboxing’ talks, an opportunity for discussion over a light lunch and coffee (provided), and a joint working session to establish an interdisciplinary film community at Northumbria where work can be shared through the BLACK BOX screening programme.
Exciting news! Our BLACK Box project is being continued as a permanent gallery space at Northumbria University!
BLACK BOX originated as a joint project by Louise Mackenzie from The Cultural Negotiation of Science and Kasia Pirog from the Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University. Opening the door on the inner workings of scientific research, Black Box is a curated programme of film works inspired by and expanding upon scientific themes. The programme showcases films by artists and researchers involved in a creative and critical engagement with the broad spectrum of the sciences, alongside films produced by scientists that provide insight into their research.
BLACK BOX3 expands the BLACK BOX concept in relationship with the Department of Applied Sciences at Northumbria University to create an interdisciplinary cinema and micro-gallery on the 4th floor of Ellison Building, Northumbria University. Following an interdisciplinary working methodology, BLACK BOX3 provides space for artists and scientists to cultivate a working relationship based around shared interests, leading to an annual exhibition and film screening via the BLACK BOX3 gallery.
We will have an official launch event for the new space on the 30th of November2023
Please hold the date and come see our new gallery then!
Meanwhile, here are some pictures looking back at the different iterations of the Black Box project:
February 2019 – Making the original Black Box:
February/March 2019 – Black Box pop-up cinema at the foyer of the Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University:
March 2019 – Black Box and Women in Film and Science Festival at the Lit&Phil, Newcastle:
February 2020 – Black Box at Genetics Matters International Rare Disease Day event, Newcastle University:
April 2022 – Black Box 2 at the Edinburgh Science Festival:
We hosted summer work experience students at the Centre for Life over the past two weeks, together with Diaz-Manera, Elliot, Munkley, and Veltman labs. It was really good fun, and great to see so much enthusiasm for science!
Thank you to all the labs for hosting the students, we hope you enjoyed it too.
Today we were looking back at the 7 years of Genetics Matters and recording a little soundbite to say thank you to the Tilly Hale Awards for continuing to support Genetics Matters over the years. It is a great event that brings together scientists, health care professionals, rare disease patients and members of the public, and raises awareness of rare disease research in Newcastle.
We had 100 people with us yesterday, despite Newcastle United playing at Wembley, raising awareness of rare diseases and rare disease research, chatting about science, performing experiments, and discussing aspects of medical research at Newcastle.
The room was buzzing with interesting conversation, and we have already had a lot of good feedback. Thank you to all the presenters and scientists, patient organisations and patients for participating, and thank you to everyone for coming and spending a Sunday afternoon with us. We really enjoyed the event and we hope that you did too.
Registration is now open for our FREE Genetics Matters event! Go to http://tinyurl.com/4rs83jbr to book, or scan the QR code on the poster. Hands-on research tables, friendly scientists and yummy cake, organised as part of the International Rare Disease Day. Please share!
Black Box https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/blackbox/ is a pop up cinema project that explores life, kinship, identity and futures through the medium of film. Developed in 2019 by an artist (Louise Mackenzie) and a scientist (Kasia Piróg), it is a great pleasure to be able to show it at the Edinburgh Science Festival next month
