What is it about?
Why do science communicators use art? Art is increasingly used to help people connect with science, but we don’t fully understand why. In this study, 18 professionals who work at the intersection of art and science were interviewed at a major European science communication conference. They explained that they use art to make science more understandable, to reach more diverse audiences, and to explore new ideas that only emerge through creative collaboration. Instead of following one clear reason or method, they often combine different goals and approaches depending on the situation. This suggests that there’s no single “best” way to mix art and science—what matters is being flexible and open to complexity.
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Why is it important?
Why is this important? As science communicators look for new ways to engage the public, arts-based approaches are gaining popularity. Yet despite growing interest, we know surprisingly little about what drives practitioners to use these methods—or how they actually make them work. This study fills that gap by grounding theory in real-world practice. It highlights how professionals navigate complex goals—such as accessibility, inclusion, and creativity—not by following fixed formulas but by adapting to their specific contexts. What is unique and timely about this work? This is one of the first studies to systematically explore the practical rationales behind art-science collaborations from the perspective of practitioners themselves. At a time when science communication is expected to be more inclusive, participatory, and imaginative, understanding these rationales is crucial. The study also offers a timely pushback against the search for standardized "best practices," proposing instead a more realistic and dynamic model of bricolage—an approach well-suited to our complex, fast-changing societal challenges.
Perspectives
From my perspective, what makes this work important is how it challenges the disconnect between theory and practice in science communication. Too often, scholarly frameworks are developed in isolation from the realities practitioners face on the ground. This study was a chance to listen to professionals who work with art and science every day—not just to document what they do, but to understand why they do it, in their own terms. By surfacing the practical rationales that guide arts-based science communication, the study contributes to more grounded, practice-informed theorizing. To me, this is essential if we want to develop science communication theory that is not only analytically strong, but also genuinely useful—capable of responding to the messy, evolving nature of real-world engagement. I see this as part of a broader effort to build bridges between research and practice, and to move away from one-size-fits-all models toward more flexible, responsive approaches that reflect the field as it actually exists.
Dr. Marianne Achiam
University of Copenhagen
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Practical rationales for art-science in science communication, International Journal of Science Education Part B, July 2025, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/21548455.2025.2523572.
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