Past Events of 2016 – We’re proud to talk about you!
2016 was a busy year for The Catalyst, and alas, not every project has been mentioned so far. However, we’re still proud of them! Here is a list of events within which The Catalyst either devised, performed, or did a mixture of the two.
Catcave9 was launched! – Lausanne – January 2016
Our monthly science improv show at Cinema Oblo, which is now a roaring success!
Debunking Slam – Zurich – April 6 2016
The Catalyst performed at the second Debunking Slam in Zurich. Taking place at the BQm Kulturcafe & Bar on the ETH Zurich campus, four speakers debunked misconceptions on various topics, even working in Judas Priest lyrics! The Catalyst then devised, as is our custom, improv sketches based on these talks to entertain the audience and take the topics on new tangents. A big thank you to Skeptiker Schweiz for hosting us!
Workshops… Conferences… Trainings! – April and on!
We were invited to teach workshops on science communication, elevator pitching and presentation skills for CUSO, HEC Lausanne, iMM in Lisbon, at doctoral schools and events (e.g. Life Science Career Day) around Switzerland. A bit of business, but we are happy to spread the science-improv bug through these training courses!
Les Mystères de l’UNIL – June 2-5 2016
2016 saw the 11th edition of Les Mystères de l’UNIL that focussed on the theme of The City. Nearly 10,000 people, including 2200 students, participated in this open-door event at l’Université de Lausanne where 300 researchers put on 24 workshops and 9 laboratories to fascinate one and all.
For our part, The Catalyst was involved in devising and performing an interactive debate. This debate centered on an imaginary city that had just been discovered in the mountains of Switzerland. Due to the depletion of a mysterious mineral that had once protected the city, the inhabitants came to Lausanne to seek help in developing their city, Kryptopolis, to make it thrive once again. Students were asked to listen to arguments from different perspectives on urban development, including topics such as commercialism, electricity generation and transportation, and then to vote for their most preferred option. In this way they helped the inhabitants design the Kryptopolis of tomorrow. It was amazing to see how passionate the students were about designing the best city!
http://wp.unil.ch/mysteres/archives/mysteres-2016/
The Castle-yst: 1st annual Lac Leman Improv Retreat – June 17-19 2016
We brought together the Lac Leman improv community for a weekend of skill sharing and fun. We had the pleasure to welcome members from the Renegade Saints, Shark Pockets, ZigZag and of course us, The Catalyst.
Applied Improv Network Annual Conference – Oxford, UK – Aug 11-4 2016
Two of our members went and represented at this amazing event, running a session on Science and Improv.
Science Slam – Basel – Oct 7 2016
As the Science Slam Basel team say:
“Giving excellent science talks is not magic, it’s practice.”
This was the second time The Catalyst has performed at Science Slam Basel, and for the second time we were met with contagious support and enthusiasm. Once again the speakers presented enlightening talks that both educated and entertained. It was clear that all of their practice led to some magical performances. Drawing on this inspiration, The Catalyst performed a series of improv sketches that were well received.
https://scienceslam.unibas.ch/
Lac Lemanapalooza! – Geneva – Nov 3 2016
We performed for charity at this event organized jointly with the Shark Pockets and Renegade Saints. We were thrilled to raise some money for Terre des Hommes, a charity that helps children in crisis.
Exposure Science-Film Hackathon – Lausanne – Dec 2-4 2016
A rip-roaring successful collaboration with BSNL, supported by UNIL and EPFL. Check out the website here: http://www.exposurehackathon.com/
