Puppets play the science of climate change

10 February 2005

Many people will willingly confess their difficulties with science. For certain, few citizens of an average African city will respond positively to an invitation to attend scientific exhibitions or conferences. By contrast, the majority will make a stop just to

Children will never miss these entertainments, and will manage to drag their parents along as well

appreciate a street show or a puppet show or listen to an interesting tale. Children will never miss these entertainments, and will manage to drag their parents along as well. Organizers of the recent 2nd festival of science in Togo understood this, leading them to combine art and culture with science to communicate scientific messages, especially on the topic of climate change: which climate for tomorrow?

Over 3 weeks, various participatory and interactive cultural activities took place around the main topic of climate change. These activities involved about 3,500 children and

interactive cultural activities took place around the main topic of climate change

adults. Apart from scientific communications animated by specialists from universities in Togo and the ministry of environment, a permanent and interactive exhibition from the University of Toulouse was displayed with the collaboration of secondary and high schools of Lomé. Discussion was moderated by trained facilitators of the NGOs lHomme, la Nature, lEnvironnement (HNE), principal organizers of the event. There were also puppet shows on drought and sea tortoise vulnerability, various workshops on haiku writing (very concise Japanese poem), story-telling and drama, masks and jewellery creation, and many other games.

Saturday November 6, 2004 was the grand finale at the French cultural center (CCF), where all these cultural participants came together and kept their public

that was a highly recreational way of learning about the life cycle of those elements

spellbound for about 90 minutes. Akou, a young student who attended all the events said: I can see again Sylvain Mehoun, the storyteller, sharing with the public, mostly children and youth, Ruisseau (stream), his story about water, fire, air and weather and their life cycle. That was a highly recreational way of learning about the life cycle of those elements. This story has also been played in popular quarters of the city, with all the children who have attended the workshops during the 3 weeks, and all

those who were interested. I recall with great pleasure puppet shows about drought and its consequences, about sea tortoises and the efforts to protect them, or about climate change and its effects such as disappearance of glaciers. Her words brought me back to the evening of the show, where I thought that I would have certainly been more successful with my science exams if I had the opportunity to learn my lessons this way.

According to Sophie Durlot, a French biologist working in Togo and mainly responsible for the event, the ambition of this 2nd festival of science was to go beyond the borders of the CCF to meet a larger public. To achieve this, she extended collaboration to more schools than at the first event in November 2003. Of course, things have not been easy, because the dates coincided with school term, the event created demand for money and energy from schools and parents, and budgets were tight. She however acknowledges the enthusiasm of participants and their goodwill in wanting to join the initiative in future years: My objective, she says, is to transform this event into a 100 per cent Togolese event, and see the week of science being celebrated just like other events, with necessary autonomy from the week of science celebrated in France.

From November 24 to December 5, the interactive exhibition on climate change travelled to different cities of Togo. From December 6 to October 2005, it will make a tour of West Africa where other science communicators using art and culture will be trained as facilitators.
------
This 2nd festival of science was organized by HNE and CCF of Lome, with the support of the French ministry of foreign affairs, the Association Science-Animation of Toulouse and Meteo France, with participation of lecturers of faculty of science of university of Lome, specialists of ministry of environment and different artists.

HNE is an NGO created in 2001 by Sophie Durlot, a French biologist working in Togo in the sector of wildlife conservation, together with professionals of ministry of environment and lecturers in science. HNE is active in several areas including biodiversity conservation, sensitization to environment, natural resources management and promotion of scientific culture through exhibitions.

	top of the page

Article Search e-mail this page Terms of Use About OneWorld UK