Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE_2016-2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE in figures

About us

ŚFN and the title of European City of Science 2024 for Katowice

Silesian Science Festival at Expo in Dubai

Who organises the Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE?

National and international cooperation

Silesian Science Festival ambassadors

Space is important to us

Silesian Science Festival is for everyone!

Hundreds of attractions and infinite knowledge

Special guests

Special zones of the festival

We reward enthusiasts and science communicators!

Science Festivals EXPO

ŚFN all year round

ŚFN on Tour – science on tour

Promotion and communication

Sponsors and partners

RAWA EDITION – ŚFN by the Rawa river

Video summaries

Visual identity of the six editions of ŚFN Katowice

Organisers

3 4–5

6 7 8–9 10–11 12–13 14–15 16–17 18–19 20–21

22–25 26–27

28–29 30

31 32–33 34–35 37–39 41 42–43 44

RECEPTION PEOPLE AND

555,000 recipients*

PLN 10,572,253 advertising equivalent*

209,000 onsite participants*

73,650 online participants*

35,000 participants visiting the Rawa Scienceville (11 October 2021)

4 9 18 43 279

1284

ministries supporting ŚFN* co-organisers* honorary patrons* foreign guests* special guests* speakers*

706 workshops* 1214 lectures*

*(2016–2022)

1079 exhibition stands*

7174 exhibitors*

ABOUT US

Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE is one of the largest popular science events in Poland and Europe.

Our aim is to keep convincing people about the value of knowledge and scientific research, and their positive influence on the future of the world. We want to awaken and strengthen society’s interest in science by arousing cognitive curiosity in people of all ages — that is why we focus on their active participation in shows, experiments, lectures, and discussions. Programme of the Festival is full of scientific attractions!

AWARDS

2019

‘Golden Rose’ – first prize for the best marketing campaign among popular science events during the EUPRIO (European Association of Communication Professionals in Higher Education) conference.

2020

Not only scientists and students work for the success of ŚFN. It is a joint effort of exhibitors, lecturers, and science communicators from Poland and the world. We find it important that the residents of the Silesian Voivodeship are made aware of the scientific variety of their region and are proud of having such great academic centres. We are a member of the European Science Engagement Association (EUSEA) network — an organisation associating European science festivals.

Popularizer of Science – first prize in the competition organised by ‘Science in Poland’ website of the Polish Press Agency and the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. ŚFN triumphed in the team category.

2022

‘SuperMarka – Śląskie’ – the award for active, entrepreneurial and socially responsible mindset, which contributes to creating a recognisable Silesian brand. The competition is organised by the Regional Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Gliwice.

ŚFN AND THE TITLE OF EUROPEAN CITY OF SCIENCE 2024 FOR KATOWICE

The success of the Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE (ŚFN) contributed significantly to Katowice receiving the prestigious title of European City of Science 2024. Therefore, the 6th edition of the Festival was one of the most important events in preparation to take up the role of the informal capital of European science and the organiser of the year-round European scientific olympics. The 7th edition of ŚFN will open the celebrations of the European City of Science 2024.

SILESIAN FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE AT EXPO IN DUBAI

Prof. Ryszard Koziołek, the Rector of the University of Silesia – General Director of the Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE served as the ambassador of the Polish Pavilion and the Silesian Voivodeship during Expo 2020 Dubai – the World Exhibition, which took place from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. As part of the Silesian Regional Week, representatives of ŚFN and the University of Silesia conducted a series of workshops for children.

Photo: materials of the Marshal Office of the Silesian Voivodeship

WHO ORGANISES THE SILESIAN SCIENCE FESTIVAL KATOWICE?

The Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE is organised by the universities from the Silesian Voivodeship. In 2018 they signed an agreement and formed an official consortium. The University of Silesia in Katowice is the leader of the consortium, as well as the initiator and main organiser of the event.

480 employees of the University of Silesia in Katowice worked on preparing the 6th edition of the ŚFN.

CO-ORGANISERS

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Together with other Polish science festivals, we decided to establish the Forum of Polish Science Festival Organisers in 2020.

ŚFN is also an active member of EUSEA (European Science Engagement Association), within the framework of which we develop cooperation with foreign festivals.

Our representatives have visited: Göteborg, Edinburgh, Cheltenham, Belfast, and New York, among others.

We have created a cooperation network that greatly improves the quality of the Festival.

Perfectly cooperating sponsors and institutional partners support us financially and substantively during subsequent editions.

Together with six foreign universities, the University of Silesia forms a prestigious European University as part of the Transform4Europe alliance. The universities come together to conduct scientific research at the highest level and educate young people in international degree programmes.

ŚFN Katowice

World Science Festival, USA, New York

Cheltenham Science Festival, UK, Cheltenham

Edinburgh Science Festival, Midlothian Science Festival, UK, Edinburgh

Vetenskapsfestivalen, SK, Göteborg

EUSEA - European Science Engagement Association, DE, Vienna

EUPRIO - European Association of Communication Professionals in Higher Education, BE, Antwerp

Expo 2020 Dubai, UAE, Dubai

European City of Science 2022, NL, Leiden

Trieste Next, IT, Italy

SILESIAN SCIENCE FESTIVAL AMBASSADORS

SCIENCE COMMUNICATORS

PIOTR BARON ŁUKASZ LAMŻA, PHD

AGATA KOŁODZIEJCZYK, PHD

ŁUKASZ WILCZYŃSKI

DANIEL TAMMET

DAVID PRICE

SCIENTISTS

JOURNALISTS

CREATORS

Thanks to the involvement of our ambassadors, we succeed in reaching new audience and properly promoting the subsequent editions of ŚFN.

PROF. KATARZYNA KŁOSIŃSKA

ARKADIUSZ GORZAWSKI, PHD

JAROSŁAW JUSZKIEWICZ

WIKTOR NIEDZICKI

TOMASZ ROŻEK, PHD

MAREK HUCZ & JAN JURKOWSKI DARWIN FILM GROUP

JAN POMIERNY

NICOLE STOTT

SPACE IS IMPORTANT TO US

ŚFN focuses on attractive arrangement solutions in the building of the International Congress Centre (ICC) – a new architectural symbol of our region.

ŚFN occupies approximately 40,000 m 2 of space in the ICC, including:

zones

special zones

main stage stages

exhibition stands experiments exhibitions

Science Stations lecture and workshop halls

food outlets and many more!

THE 6 TH EDITION OF THE SILESIAN SCIENCE FESTIVAL WAS HELD ON 3–5 DECEMBER 2022 ONCE AGAIN IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS CENTRE

DURING THE 5 TH ŚFN (2021) WE CREATED AN OPEN-AIR RAWA

SILESIAN SCIENCE FESTIVAL IS FOR EVERYONE!

The Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE attracts crowds of younger and older people fascinated by science.

The Festival’s offer is suitable for all audiences – for both organised school groups and entire families or friends who just want to spend their time in an interesting way. Every year we prepare online broadcasts of the entire event for all those who cannot attend the science festival in person.

The 5th Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE adopted a unique format. We invited you to participate in the outdoor and online space for the first time. The Rawa Scienceville arranged along the Rawa river was visited by nearly 35,000 people, and nearly 25,000 people participated in online activities.

nearly 74,000 audience members watched the five editions of ŚFN online

nearly 200,000 people visited the International Congress Centre in Katowice during five editions of ŚFN

over 55,000 people attended the 6th ŚFN

HUNDREDS OF ATTRACTIONS AND INFINITE KNOWLEDGE

The programme of ŚFN KATOWICE includes the opening gala and the main part of the event taking place at the International Congress Centre (the 5th edition was an exception – see the chapter ‘Rawa Edition’).

The programme of the main part consists of several hundred different types of activities promoting science and art. An important part of them are the exhibition stands located in six science zones that reflect the scientific fields operating at universities in the Silesian Voivodeship. These zones include:

l natural sciences,

l humanities and social sciences,

l technical sciences,

l medicine and health,

l exact sciences,

l arts.

The activities also include hundreds of lectures and workshops, over a dozen exhibitions and concerts, and numerous meetings with festival guests – many of them took place in a more intimate form, either as part of Science Stations or in the comfort of a science bookstore.

The festival space is complemented by thematic zones, including:

l Special Zone,

l Kids Zone,

l Sports Zone,

l OFF Science Zone (in which the Review of Garage Inventions is held).

The programme of the Festival is supervised by the Programme and Organisational Team, as well as our technical coordinators. Most of the points in the programme are created on the basis of applications sent by units, employees, doctoral students, and students from universities organising the Festival, as well as other scientific entities, cultural institutions, and partners.

SPECIAL GUESTS

DANIEL TAMMET

JON CHASE

PROF. JOHANNES GEORG BEDNORZ

RUSSELL ARNOTT

DIONISIOS STURIS

WOJCIECH ORLIŃSKI

GREG FOOT

NICOLE STOTT

MARC ELSBERG

WOJCIECH JAGIELSKI

TOMASZ STAWISZYŃSKI

JAMIE GALLAGHER, PHD

EMER MAGUIRE DECLAN MCKENNA, PHD

VICTORIA SIMMS, PHD

SYLWIA CHUTNIK

ROBERT ZUBRIN, PHD

BELINDA TATO

GRZEGORZ KASDEPKE

JULIA E. WAHL, PHD

We have hosted

43 foreign special guests during six editions of the festival

We have hosted

279 special guests during six editions of the festival

BERNADETTE MURPHY

PROF. ROBIN DUNBAR

PROF. JERZY BUZEK

LESZEK CICHY

ANNA DZIEWIT-MELLER

PROF. ZBIGNIEW IZDEBSKI

PROF. KAROL MYŚLIWIEC

PROF. PIOTR ŁADZIŃSKI

MICHAŁ RUSINEK, PHD, DLITT, UJ ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

ARTUR ANDRUS

FILIP SPRINGER

SPECIAL ZONES OF THE FESTIVAL COSMIC

ZONE (3 RD ŚFN)

Participants had the opportunity to see, among others, shows in the mobile Silesian Planetarium from Chorzów, Mars rovers, a gyroscope, space suits, Youth Space Station stands and Astronomical Observatory in Sopotnia Wielka stands, VR stations, and a spherical tent in which they could meet Mirosław Hermaszewski (the first, and still the only Pole in space) and NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, as well as many space scientists.

Nicol Stott

(guest of the 3rd ŚFN) has spent a total of 103 days 5 hours

48 minutes and 37 seconds in space during two missions to the International Space Station

STANISŁAW LEM ZONE (5 TH ŚFN)

It was planned on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the outstanding Polish writer and futurologist. The programme of the zone included lectures and a debate thematically referring to the works and life of Stanisław Lem. The visitors could see Mars rovers, a humanoid robot, a gyroscope, and VR stations in the tent, and the mobile Silesian Planetarium from Chorzów not too far from it.

CLIMATE AND ELECTROMOBILITY ZONE (4 TH ŚFN)

where the participants could see environmentally friendly vehicles, such as electric cars and motors and solar planes, as well as the University of Silesia balloon used to study the air quality above the cities of the Metropolis GZM. Interesting lectures on problems related to global warming were held in the spherical tent.

CITY AND WATER ZONE (5 TH ŚFN)

In the City and Water Zone, activities related to the main theme of the 5th ŚFN (which was Rawa, water, and public space in the city) were presented. The Zone included attractions and topics related to the city and water, including shows and workshops presenting methods of water testing – for example, the water in the Rawa river as well as its impact on human health was examined. The participants could also take part in activities related to water sports and ways of using the Rawa coast for sporting and recreational activities dedicated to the residents of the region, including families with children. Although the heart of the Zone was the Katowice market square, workshops, shows and presentations related to the City and Water Zone were also held along the Rawa boulevards. We saw the city from the Rawa’s perspective.

ACCESSIBILITY ZONE (5 TH AND 6 TH ŚFN)

In the Accessibility Zone, we focused on the issues related to the adaptation of everyday life (including the virtual one) to the needs of people with disabilities. We created an opportunity to experience the world from a different perspective and provide support when disability limits human development and opportunities. Within this zone, representatives of Katowice City Hall also provided career counselling for secondary school students.

REMOTE LIVING PATH (5 TH ŚFN)

The Remote Living Path’s goal was to tell the participants more about our functioning during the SARSCoV-2 pandemic. Its main point was the Covid Impact Stage, where scientists talked about how we lived during the pandemic in a social, psychological, and professional context; and about how new technologies make our lives easier and the dangers they pose. The stage also hosted a debate: ‘Difficult questions on vaccines’. The remote Living Path and Stage were an attempt to summarise how the pandemic influenced us as a society, what opportunities it opened and what costs it generated.

COAL ZONE (6 TH )

In the Coal Zone, festival participants were able to participate in the journey of coal throughout history – from the origin of life on Earth, in which coal played a fundamental role, to the exploration of the universe by mankind. We looked at coal in terms of various fields of knowledge and even art. We treated this raw material/element universally and made sure that the impressions related to the Coal Zone were also unique.

WE REWARD ENTHUSIASTS AND SCIENCE COMMUNICATORS!

53 projects could be admired in the OFF Science Zone during the 6th ŚFN

over

37 scientists were awarded the Silesian Scientific Award (ŚNN)

30,000 votes for Science Communicators were cast during two editions of the POP Science competition

SCIENCE FESTIVALS EXPO

A unique element of the 6th ŚFN was the first Science Festivals EXPO, through which the organisers wanted to strengthen the integration of creators and science festivals organisers from Poland and abroad even further. The audience of the Festival enjoyed interesting lectures and science shows, which are also presented at other science festivals in Poland and Europe.

The Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE is the leader of the Forum of Polish Science Festival Organisers, which consists of 25 festivals.

The accompanying event of the 6th ŚFN was the Science Festivals EXPO exhibition on the Katowice market square.

ŚFN ALL YEAR ROUND

We want the potential of ŚFN to ‘work’ and bring results all year round, every day, and the Festival audience to remain connected with us between the subsequent editions of the event.

ŚFN scientific challenge

We also encourage people who are familiar with ŚFN to take up scientific challenges prepared by our team – there are various tasks to perform (e.g. Goldberg machine design, vision of Silesia in 2030, educational board game design), but what they definitely all have in common is creativity.

80,004 views (15 April 2020 to 31 March 2022)

Webinar series

In April 2020, we started a series of online lectures conducted by the ŚFN ambassadors and special guests, as well as scientists from the University of Silesia. Our webinars were hugely popular in the first months of the social isolation during the pandemic.

ŚFN ON TOUR –SCIENCE ON TOUR

The ŚFN on Tour is an initiative carried out as part of the Mobile Zone that appears as a guest during various events promoting science.

ŚFN ON TOUR MEANS:

• stands

• meetings with scientists

• lectures

• other attractions

28–30 May 2021

Park Kopczyńskiego, Wisła

ŚFN on Tour at the Jerzy Pilch Festival of Words ‘Granatowe Góry’

24 July 2021

Rosarium in Park Śląski, Chorzów

ŚFN on Tour at the ‘Śniadanie na trawie’ (‘Breakfast on the Grass’) in Park Śląski

11 September 2021

Culture Zone, Katowice

ŚFN on Tour — Relax Zone during the ‘Zalewski i przyjaciele’ (‘Zalewski and Friends’) concert in celebration of Spodek Arena’s 50th anniversary

16 September 2021

technology hall of the Silesian University of Technology campus in Katowice

Press conference of the Silesian Science Festival

KATOWICE and Scientists’ Night

25 March 2022

ul. Uniwersytecka 4, Katowice

ŚFN on Tour at the ‘City of Science for Ukraine’ concert

3–5 June 2022

Park Kopczyńskiego, Wisła

ŚFN on Tour at the Jerzy Pilch Festival of Words ‘Granatowe Góry’

26 June 2022

International Congress Centre in Katowice

World Urban Forum WUF11

10–11 September 2022

Park Leśny, Katowice

Birthday of the City of Katowice

18 September 2022

pl. Jana Nowaka-Jeziorańskiego, Kraków Erasmus+ Innovation Day

14–18 September 2022

Leiden, The Netherlands

ArtScience Week

08–09 October 2022

Planetarium – The Silesian Science Park, Chorzów

Lemoniada 2022

PROMOTION AND COMMUNICATION

ŚFN communication means constant contact with recipients and partners. We provide our audience with recordings of the most interesting performances, encourage them to participate in numerous activities, and invite them to meetings with our ambassadors and speakers via social media.

We are broadly represented in the media, with which we have been cooperating successfully for several years, for example by engaging journalists in promoting ŚFN. The promotion of each edition of the Festival has two stages – the first concerns the recruitment of activities, and the second – the programme, guests, and partners. In the second stage, we run an extensive, nationwide advertising campaign on the Internet, in the media, and public space. Our graphic designs are prepared by artists who are responsible for our artistic visual identity. In 2019, the 3rd Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE gained recognition and won first place in the competition for the best communication and marketing initiative of European universities –EUPRIO Awards 2019.

PROMOTION IN FIGURES

72.1 media engagement (contacts in total)

nearly 10,000,000 users who received information about the event

40 media patrons

20 honorary patrons

PLN 10,572,253 advertising equivalent

455 outdoor advertising media

SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

Since its first edition, the Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE has been supported by the City of Katowice, the Metropolis GZM, and the Marshal’s Office of the Silesian Voivodeship.

Thanks to our partners, we can implement a diverse and attractive programme in an exceptionally attractive setting.

16 commercial partners supported ŚFN KATOWICE during the 6th edition of the event

So far, the Festival has been supported by:

• Altamira

• ArcelorMittal Poland

• Bank PEKAO

• Concept Music Art Sp. z o.o.

• Danone

• Fujitsu

• Deloitte Poland Foundation

• GAZ-SYSTEM S.A.

• Górnośląskie Przedsiębiorstwo Wodociągów S.A.

• ING Bank Śląski S.A.

• JAS-FBG

• Katowice Special Economic Zone

• Koleje Śląskie Sp. z o.o.

• Mokate

• PKO Bank Polski

• Polskie Górnictwo Naftowe i Gazowe

• PZU SA

• SPEAK-UP

RAWA EDITION – ŚFN BY THE RAWA RIVER

In 2021, we organised the Festival in a completely new format, arranging the open-air Rawa Scienceville by the river. The event was held on Sunday, 11 October.

The festival area stretched over a kilometre, from the Katowice market square, through the following streets: Teatralna, Szkolna, Moniuszki, Pańki, campus of the University of Silesia in Katowice at Bankowa, including the car park behind the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Silesia.

The Rawa Edition included some new elements:

Accessibility Zone – we tried to show visitors how difficult life can be from the perspective of people with disabilities;

Support Zone ‘Four walls of homelessness’ (prepared in cooperation with the Municipal Social Welfare Centre in Katowice) – 66 people in the crisis of homelessness benefited from a free hot meal, sanitary facilities as well as psychological and legal help.

14

lectures were held on as many as stages

ŚFN by the Rawa river was the beginning of a long process of change that this river undoubtedly needs — both in terms of its image and urban planning. The past, present, and future of Rawa were the theme of the Opening Gala, which took place by the river on Saturday, 10 October. The participants of the Festival could see how attractive Rawa can look thanks to colourful illuminations.

The events in the open-air Scienceville by the Rawa river were complemented by an online programme that lasted for five consecutive days. It was particularly popular among school students. Lectures, workshops, and demonstrations could be attended via Zoom, and each day was devoted to a different field of science.

FEEL THAT SCIENCE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

See the video summaries of the previous editions of the Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE.

VISUAL IDENTITY OF SIX EDITIONS OF ŚFN KATOWICE

2016

2017

PHOTO: SZYMON NAWRAT DESIGN: CUTBERRY MAJA CHOJNACKA

2019

PHOTO: JULIA SZYMALA ARTWORK: MAREK GŁOWACKI DESIGN: CUTBERRY MAJA CHOJNACKA

2020

ARTWORK:

NATALIA ŁUKOMSKA

DESIGN: CUTBERRY

MAJA CHOJNACKA

2021

ARTWORK:

NATALIA ŁUKOMSKA

DESIGN: CUTBERRY

MAJA CHOJNACKA

2022

ARTWORK:

NATALIA ŁUKOMSKA

DESIGN: IWONA CICHY

CO-ORGANISERS

The 6th Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE was co-financed from the ‘Social Responsibility of Science’, a programme of the Minister of Education and Science.