“Could I become a scientist?“: Exploring Theater's power to connect the public with science

Abstract

Despite the strides achieved in recent years, there remains evidence indicating that science communication tends to primarily target privileged and already engaged audiences, often sidelining marginalized communities. Amid efforts to overcome this challenge, the arts have emerged as a valuable ally in addressing this disparity, fostering a stronger and more inclusive connection between science and society while promoting diversity in public engagement with science. But what types of art can effectively engage, include, and diversify audiences, and more importantly, how can they do so? In this study, we investigate the production and reception of a theatrical play staged at a science museum in Rio de Janeiro, situated within a socioeconomically disadvantaged area. Our objective was to investigate the potential of this play in connecting the public and science, as well as to identify the characteristics of this connection. Our findings revealed that employing comedy rooted in popular tradition, performed by a pair of clown-scientists who actively involve the audience throughout the performance, including helping with scientific experiments, has the potential to strengthen both science and art identity. This approach particularly resonated with children with limited exposure to artistic and scientific resources, thereby facilitating the transfer of scientific and cultural capital to these groups and fostering a more inclusive science communication.