On 7th-8th June MUSICC led a multi-project stand at the Great Exhibition Road Festival (GERF), engaging the public on human challenge studies. This was one of MUSICC’s first representations at a public festival and was a great step in the project’s engagement journey.
The stand and team ready for day two of the festival
Engaging over 55,000 visitors across the weekend, GERF has become a prominent feature in London’s public engagement calendar. The festival involves many of the major institutions on and around Exhibition Road, including the Natural History Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Science Museum, the Royal Albert Hall, and the Royal College of Art, among various others. In a nod to its historic roots, GERF celebrates art and science in the spirit of the Great Exhibition of 1851. Instigated by Prince Albert and held in the impressive Crystal Palace, the Great Exhibition was renowned for its social and cultural impacts. It could be argued that trend continues today, as the festival is a vibrant display of the intersection between art and science through the collaboration of local institutions and artists.
The Crystal Palace at the Great Exhibition 1851
Joined by members from IMMPROVE, HIC-Vac, and the CHANTS, GERMINATE and INFLAMMAGE studies, MUSICC engaged countless members of the public to discuss human challenge studies through a multi-activity stand. The collaborating projects are all funded by various research schemes but were united around a focus on human challenge studies. An array of activities was on offer, suitable for all ages, to ignite interest and bust myths around the topic.
A young visitor exploring the stand’s microscope slides
Visitors were able to get hands on with microscopes and slides, using scientific skills similar to our very own researchers. They could opt to spin the wheel of questions for a fun pop quiz on human challenge studies. One of the most popular activities was the interactive e-quiz, where participants competed for the top score by attempting to offer the quickest response to questions about human challenge study myths and misconceptions. This offered visitors the opportunity to participate through tablets or their own phones and created an inclusive and inviting challenge for many visitors.
Effective public engagement should involve two-way engagement and there were plenty of opportunities at the stand for visitors to share their own views, questions, and experiences. One eye-catching way was through the use of the stand’s giant virus models. Members of the public were asked before and after their interactions whether they would get sick for science, with a selection of coloured flags to indicate their answer (green = yes, red = no and blue = maybe/need more information). The aim of the activity was to evaluate whether public interaction had any effect on the willingness to participate in human challenge studies. Although an informal measurement, preliminary results suggest that interactions did have a positive influence on their willingness to take part. This is a great example of how public opinion can be impacted through awareness, education and effective engagement and communication.
One of the two virus models used to collect public opinions on participation in human challenge studies
The stand also collected anonymous questions and opinions from the public which helped shine a light on some of the most prominent topics in the publics’ mind around human challenge studies. Conversations were flowing throughout the weekend and although there was not always full agreement in every interaction, it was an important opportunity to explore the views of those uncertain about these studies. The data collected will provide useful insights in shaping MUSICC’s future engagement strategies when communicating with the public on the project’s aims and outcomes.
As one of MUSICC’s first public engagement events, the stand at the Great Exhibition Road Festival was a huge success. Providing drive and inspiration for future events, with expanding groups of stakeholders, it will be exciting to see how this aspect of the project grows. With further plans already in the works, the hum around MUSICC is definitely one to listen out for.
