Orla Fox

I met up with Professor Andy Newsam to pitch my plan in for outreach workshop. Presenting and explaining the layout of the planned workshop and requesting any advice for improvement or suggestions on who else to approach with the outline. I also presented the Camera Obscura workshop as a method for an art/science approach to the subject of Optics and an approach to physics in general.

My main objective, as I outlined to Professor Newsam, is to make the workshop as accessible as possible and engage young children in astronomy at an early age. Andy liked my idea and made some suggestions of who I could reach out to, including The School’s Observatory. Before I send of my outline to local schools and the Institute of Physics for possible funding, he would look through my application. Luckily Institutions are more likely to fund low cost endeavours, as mine would require only travel costs and materials.

Professor Newsam was especially excited by my Camera Obscura workshop and the success of it, suggesting I should use it again in another workshop, targeted at an older age group. It is definitely something I am willing to take further.

Though this project hasn’t resulted in a cumulative piece of work, it has allowed me to foster connection, particularly with Professor Newsam who I will continue to work with into my next project. His advice has been invaluable in terms of his experience with science outreach and our mutual fascination with Astronomy which has lead into some fascinating conversations. Professor Newsam has also agreed to review my application towards the Art-Science Cavendish Fellowship at Cambridge University which places artists in a Physics Laboratory, his insight will be especially helpful in his years of reviewing funding applications, as well as, his support for transdisciplinary discourse within Astronomy.