“Tantu” by the Escola Proa  takes the victory as the winner of the final of the IV edition of ‘Reimagine Science: Clinical trials, Research and Development of Medicines’ in Barcelona, in which nearly 2,100 young people from all over Catalonia participated, and 97 videos were presented. This initiative, promoted by Novartis, the Barcelona Science Park, within the framework of the Research in Society program (RESSÒ), and Big Van Ciencia, has closed this edition in Catalonia with a gala in which the following eight finalist projects have been presented.

“Tantu”, the award-winning project, has been developed by 16 students from the Escola Proa of Barcelona:  Iren de Benito, Omar Puigdollers, Biel Vergara, Sergi Martínez, Núria Pascual, Oscar García. Blai Francesch, Bernat Casanovas, Maryori Bartra, Paula García, Àlex Villeda, Lena Pedrosa, Irene Rodríguez, Laia Munt, Iker Horna and Jan Pérez, with the coordination of their teacher, Mar Manrique.

The awards ceremony took place this Friday, 15 December at the Barcelona Science Park and combined live monologues with the screening of the eight videos selected as finalists for this edition, which have stood out from among the 97 videos presented. The event has been broadcast via streaming and is available online [+]

Foto: Barcelona Science Park.

The event, chaired by Oriol Marimón from Big Van Ciencia, was attended by Ramon Maspons, Chief Innovation Officer (CINO) at Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS); Jesús Ponce, Country President at Novartis Spain; and Maria Terrades, Director of the Barcelona Science Park.

In the opinion of Jesús Ponce : “The Reimagine Science programme has once again demonstrated the great talent and potential of new generations. This initiative is founded in our values and reflects our purpose to reimagine medicine, something that will not be possible without the involvement of young people. We hope to continue promoting other exciting and energising programmes such as this one, which bring us closer to society to move toward transformative medicine together.”

According to Maria Terrades: “Reimagine Science is one of the basic pillars of the RESSÓ Research in Society Programme, which has registered more than 20,000 requests to participate in some of the activities it organises in 2023. There is an enthusiasm for science in schools and this ensures us that we have a pool of scientists for the future. The Science Park’s Sustainability Plan is committed to the promotion of scientific vocations to contribute to a quality education. We have been working on it for more than 20 years and we are convinced we will continue to do so.”

Finally, Mar Manrique, teacher responsible for the winning team, highlighted that “on the one hand, Reimagine Science allows our students to learn and have fun listening to scientific content, thanks to great stand-up comedians who host the show; and on the other hand, it opens the door to researching more about clinical trials, involving them in the creation of a short film where they get their act together, both to convey the great importance of the trials and to develop their creativity. Thank you for promoting the dissemination of science in such a fun way.”

More than 2,100 students and around one hundred candidates

‘Reimagine Science’ is an informative programme aimed at students and teachers which this year has enjoyed the participation of some 2,100 students from all over Catalonia, with the purpose of awakening scientific vocations among the younger generations.

In this 4th edition, students presented their creative proposals in which they explain how they see and interpret the world of clinical trials through an artistic performance including: videos, songs, sketches and flash mobs. Students have immersed themselves in scientific content such as clinical trials, research and development of medicines in a learning process that combines science with the performing arts. Faithful to Novartis’ commitment to society by reimagining medicine, this initiative aims to generate a positive impact on young people by familiarising them with scientific knowledge and critical thinking so that they can reimagine science.

Face-to-face sessions, scientific monologues… and more

In a first phase during the month of October, to inspire the youngsters in the planning of their proposals, Big Van Ciencia scientists held face-to-face sessions of their scientific monologue show, which was attended by 1,273 students from all over Catalonia. The face-to-face sessions took place in the Aula Magna of the Biology Faculty of the University of Barcelona. In addition, the programme offered training materials on clinical trials to schoolteachers; training that also fomented knowledge of e-Learning tools as well as the performing arts so that they could go on to develop it in the classroom. In this way, the teaching staff’s narrative capacity was enhanced when it came to explaining scientific concepts which the students, in turn, captured in a video in the most creative and disruptive way possible.

When it came to selecting the winner, the jury, made up of clinical research professionals from Novartis and PCB, as well as members from the world of communication and performing arts, has assessed aspects such as the content of the video, the clarity of the message, and the students’ explanation as well as the charisma of the participants.

» Tantu, the winning video of the IV edition of ‘Reimagine science’ in Barcelona