What
Bloom is an innovative science festival and science communication initiative that helps us reflect on science, nature, and ourselves.
Bloom presents ideas and research from the brightest scientists, philosophers, thinkers, and artists of our time to the broad public in new and engaging ways, ranging from the festival format in the historic park of Søndermarken in Frederiksberg in May to the online magazine Bloom Explore and school initiative Bloom School.
In the coming years Bloom will expand from a festival to a platform for science communication that presents high quality talks and content all year. The goal is to further the public’s general interest in science, to stimulate this interest among young people and children, and to set the agenda in Danish science communication.
Why
Bloom is dedicated to realizing a new enlightenment and education ideal, in which the understanding of science and nature plays an indispensable part in society and for its citizens.
By presenting researchers and ideas from a wide range of scientific disciplines, the project makes basic research present to the public, appealing both to its applied relevance, its cultural context and its philosophical ability to fascinate. The project aims to break down boundaries between fields, disciplines, and forms of knowledge by encouraging a dialogue between researchers and artists. Taking research as its main resource, Bloom is a response to challenges such as fake news, crises in climate, health and biodiversity, and everyday alienation from scientific knowledge and the natural world.
How
The festival in Søndermarken takes place every year in May. By uniting the best from the festival sphere and the world of science, more than 10.000 guests will take part in a weekend of debates, talks, ideas, and walks under the open sky. Because of COVID-19 the 2021 festival will be downscaled and supplemented by a range of smaller events. With Bloom Aarhus, the festival Summer Bloom, and the digital platform Bloom Explore, it is an aim to increase the national reach of Bloom’s science communication. Bloom Explore will publish new videos, podcasts, essays, and digital art works weekly.
SSR
The social impact of the project has been monitored since its start in 2017, and surveys conducted among participating audiences both in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 show that Bloom stimulates a further interest in scientific knowledge, with guests under 35 representing more than 50 % of the audience. Further steps in developing the evaluation strategy for monitoring Bloom’s social impact regarding the dissemination of research ideas will be taken in 2021 with selected partners.
Bloom is taking steps to further diversity (in terms of gender, age, and ethnicity) and talent development in science communication.
In 2020, a strategy and zero point analysis for gender representation has been developed, and the curatorial team behind Bloom is working methodically with furthering representation and new talent.