Traveling installations: going to places where everyone goes

The Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health's traveling exhibits visited 28 locations across the Netherlands last year, from libraries and sports centers to festivals, and reached almost 10.000 people. ‘It's about providing a fun experience and encouraging people to think about public health, especially for those who might not typically engage with science.’

The interactive installations at the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health together form one major exhibition: Chronisch Gezond (Chronically Healthy). By now, there have been three themes: ‘Let's Dish up’ (about food), ‘Little Troublemakers’ (about viruses and bacteria) and ‘Sleep Tight’ (about sleep). ‘The idea behind the series ties in with Aletta's mission,’ says Maaike Muller, Public Engagement Programme Manager. ‘We are all getting older, yet not healthier. Also, the gap between people with different incomes and education levels is growing. Low-educated people live, on average, 18 years in poorer health. We need to do something about that!'

This calls for a profound health transition, shifting the emphasis from cure to prevention. ‘It is important to realise that you are not the only one who determines whether you stay healthy; living conditions and environment also have a crucial influence. Think, for example, of laws on air pollution. Prevention therefore concerns not only the medical faculty, but virtually all fields of science, from law to physics.’

Stumbling over science

The Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health actively engages health professionals, policymakers and the public. ‘The latter is my job,’ says Muller. She notes that researchers don’t always interact with people from diverse social backgrounds, which is why the exhibits aim to reach everyone, especially those who don’t read the science section of the newspaper or attend science festivals. To make science more accessible, the exhibits are interactive and completely free. ‘We place them in locations where people bump into them, so to speak. We want them to almost stumble over science.’

Cassandra van de Ruitenbeek, a Biomedical Engineering student, is the assistant responsible for production work, such as transport and storage of the exhibits and communication with the (potential) venues. She made a quantitative overview of the impact of the exhibits in the past years. In 2024, the exhibits were at 28 different locations, such as hospitals, festivals, schools and libraries, and directly reached approximately 9800 people.

For Van de Ruitenbeek, it is quite a logistics operation to get the installations to different places in the Northern Netherlands and beyond, from a museum in Belgium to a library in Joure. Soon, Little Troublemakers (about viruses and bacteria) will even travel to Germany for the Cross-Border Institute (a healthcare partnership between German and Dutch border regions). A moving company handles transportation, and a student assistant always accompanies the exhibits to their destination. ‘It happened that one piece was missing, and I had to go there myself,’ she laughs.

Conversation starter

The eye-catching installations were designed in collaboration with a renowned exhibition builder, Muller says. Everyone is drawn to the exhibits in a different way. 'You often see children running directly towards the games, while parents follow and take a look at the texts on the exhibits. The best part is when a researcher comes along and interacts with people. By involving the public in their research, scientists gain a better understanding of regional public health challenges. It is a valuable exchange, one they do not often experience in their daily work.'

Van de Ruitenbeek agrees, noting that it’s not just researchers, but also university students, who play an important role. According to her, things work particularly well when a student assistant explains the story of the exhibition to visitors on-site. ‘We also try to connect the exhibition with the students' studies as much as possible. For instance, at Little Troublemakers on viruses and bacteria, a medical student accompanies the installation.’

Interactive and accessible

To reach a wide audience, the exhibits are set up at various locations across the Netherlands, particularly in the north. Muller explains, ‘I believe in placing them in spaces that everyone visits. A great example is the Sports Centre of Kardinge or the Floriade in Almere. Our success lies in being present at diverse locations, which has allowed us to reach many people, including those who don't typically engage with science.’

The exhibits allow Aletta to offer something valuable, Muller continues. ‘They really help us make an impact. The exhibits don’t stand alone; we often pair them with other activities from our School, like workshops on food or sleep. We also lend out the exhibits. Just the other day, a group of children arranged for an installation to be brought to their school after seeing it at Forum Groningen. I thought that was great.’

The installations spend part of their time in storage. ‘That's actually quite a waste,’ says Van de Ruitenbeek. ‘It would be great if we could store them in places where the public can view them, like hospitals or nursing homes. I also hope we can expand our locations. At the Forum, many people are already familiar with the exhibits. It would be nice if they could be displayed throughout the Netherlands.’

Impact study

Valeria Cernei, PhD at the Institute for Science Education and Communication at the University of Groningen, conducted impact research on Aletta's exhibits. Cernei's research focuses on science communication, particularly the interaction between different knowledge systems. Science is one of these knowledge systems; others are, for instance, indigenous knowledge or experiential knowledge, she explains. Contrary to popular belief, scientific interest is not politically neutral. ‘It's not like an interest in rock music. An interest in science offers people certain advantages that help them navigate the world, it’s an asset in our societies.’

This is precisely why it’s important for everyone to engage with science. For her research, Cernei examined the traveling exhibits of Aletta. According to the PhD student, they serve as a prime example of bringing science to the local communities. ‘The traveling exhibits make science accessible to a diverse audience, people from rural areas or those who cannot afford going to a science museum, for instance.’

Her research focused on audience interactions at the Little Troublemakers installation, which was displayed at the Delfzijl library. ‘We used video and audio recordings, along with observations, to study how visitors experienced the exhibit and to identify any tensions or contradictions. The study offered insights into the different value systems of both visitors and exhibit designers, what is important for a family coming to the exhibit and what is important for an immigrant, for example, and how these needs are met by the exhibit itself, and illuminated what people look for when interacting with a science exhibit: meaningful sense-making as well as a chance to connect and enjoy each other’s company.’

The PhD candidate points to the section on hygiene measures as a key example of the difficulties involved in creating experiences that are meaningful for everyone. ‘One of the main messages of the exhibit focuses on basic hygiene, like handwashing. Some visitors felt this section didn’t challenge them enough; they felt somewhat patronized. We know we should wash our hands, they responded.’ These insights are highly significant, Cernei argues. They illustrate the difficulties of creating public engagement experiences that not only are not hierarchical, but also that take into account visitors’ interests and priorities. ‘The world is becoming increasingly fragmented, and there are more and more movements opposing science. By engaging with people in a thoughtful and equitable way, we could help change the tide.’

Different perspectives

Muller emphasizes that the goal is not to impose anything on people. ‘It's about offering an enjoyable experience and encouraging people to think about health, without telling them what to do. It's definitely not meant to be patronizing.’ That said, researchers, experts, and students do consider a core message in advance. ‘From there, we develop different angles. For example, the Let's Dish up installation, which focuses on food, includes the sugar tax as a topic. Visitors can pull an audio opinion from the FEBO wall and hear different perspectives on the sugar tax: from a sugar expert to a pastry chef. They can also use sugar cubes to vote for or against the tax.’

Visitors gain a better understanding of actions they can take to improve their own health and the health of others. The exhibits vary in how they engage people. ‘At Sleep Tight, for example, we provide a bit more direction: what can people do to improve their sleep? For instance, getting direct sunlight in the morning or making sure your feet are warm.’ The common thread across all exhibits is making science accessible. ‘We explain how science works and the important role it plays in your life. Ideally, we also bring researchers to the exhibits to show that scientists are just people too. And who knows, maybe it will inspire young people to pursue a career in science.’

In 2025, the exhibits are scheduled to be on display, for example, at the Expeditie Next science festival in Roermond in April, and at the European Researcher’ Night science festival at the Forum Groningen in September.