A huge work has been performed in order to to improve and strengthen awareness of the crucial role played by university researchers within civil society.
To this end, an integrated communication strategy has been designed and implemented, involving conception, production and display of printed promotional material (i.e. posters, brochures, detailed programs), a public advertising regional advertisement common plan, involving airing of promotional spots, announcements and interviews with researchers on local radio stations and TV channels.
In order to fully reach the local and international student audience, the ERASMUS Student Network has been involved in the main Bright communication activities.
During the first half of September 2018 and 2019 press conferences has been organized, both in Florence, in collaboration with the press office of the Toscana regional government and the press offices of all project partners, and in Siena as well as in each of the four main participating cities. A national presentation of the ERN - in collaboration with all the other Italian ERN projects funded (National website, press conference at the Ministry of Research, with the Italian Minister of Research), had a considerable response in terms of audience participation and media impact.
In order to maximize the impact of the event both on specialized audiences and on the whole citizenship, communication and dissemination activities have gradually intensified in the days immediately before and after the event. Before the Night events meetings with stakeholders, regional and local authorities in each participating cities has been delivered, as well as tailored meetings and visits to schools aimed at disseminating the project and the programme.
The Citizen science project BRIGHT POLLINATION has involved training activities for researchers (communication and soft skills), divided in several modules hosted by BRIGHT partners, with teaching and learning material made accessible on IT platform, open access to all researchers beyond the project life.
In order to trigger a virtuous real-virtual-real circle, in parallel with the communication activities in presence and online Bright has planned specific actions to engage the involved cities, such as "open museums” —involving initiatives mainly aiming at young audiences through interactive experiences such as “treasure hunts” and creative laboratories— and “Science aperitifs” in local bars and pubs, with researchers informally talking with attendees about their recent studies in front of a glass of wine or beer.
The main effect of such a widespread and pervasive communication action has been the very high participation of researchers, students, stakeholders and citizenship in the dense Night programme, including Laboratories for children, Film Projection, Exhibitions, Seminars, Workshops, Concerts, Guided tours, Didactic shows, Laboratories, Quiz, Showcooking, Speaker’s corners, Open Labs (for a detailed list please see Annex I - Part B).
The most notable impact of the Night has been the active involvement of 1.517 researchers, of whom 54 having benefitted from an EU support in the framework of FP7 or Horizon 2020.
