Polar Zero: Science in Art

Polar Zero aims to make an innovative cultural contribution to COP26 through an academic research and public science-art partnership that includes leading institutions - British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Arup, the Royal College of Art - in collaboration with artist Wayne Binitie, a PhD Fine Arts student funded by AHRC - http://waynebinitie.com/research. For the last 5 years Wayne has collaborated on the Data as Art project Aesthetics of Water with ice core scientists, the creative team and public engagement specialists at BAS. This project has led to public exhibitions, and the involvement of engineering expertise from Arup. The project is a critical element of Wayne's PhD research. Working with UKRI, UKRI-NERC and the UK Govt Cabinet Office Chief Events Officer for COP26, BAS has brokered a collaboration with the official COP26 venue partner - the internationally acclaimed Glasgow Science Centre. A programme of public engagement, intergovernmental science diplomacy, media and social media engagement will stimulate new ways of thinking, and new ways to express the impact of climate change on humanity. Polar Zero emerges just as the idea of rethinking the human and non-human history of the Polar Regions is more urgent than ever before. Polar Zero is a science-art collaborative partnership proposal that will: - Support the UK Government's COP26 plans - Celebrate UK research and innovation in the fields of science, art and engineering - Highlight UK's role in climate action - Inspire action at all levels of society from high-level intergovernmental policy to local communities - Generate positive media, stakeholder and public engagement - Further develop a science-art collaboration that brings personal and professional benefit to early career artist Wayne Binitie - Celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion