Art meets polar science

Swiss author Sabine Harbeke and scientist Margit Schwikowski collaborated in the PolARTS programme. They discuss the challenges of working at very high altitudes and transferring the outcome of ice drilling into a play.

Sabine Harbeke works as an author, director, filmmaker, lecturer and leads the interdisciplinary, transcultural program "building bridges". She is the deputy head of BA & MA Theatre Directing program at the University of Arts in Zurich (ZHdK) and works as guest lecturer at different other universities.

Margit Schwikowski is an environmental Chemist and currently head of the Environmental Chemistry Laboratory at the Paul Scherrer Institute. Her projects explore the reconstruction of atmospheric and climatic conditions in the past using ice cores from high-mountain glaciers.

In this episode, Margit Schwikowski and Sabine Harbeke give insights into their joint research project “Flüchtiges Eis”, combining theatre and the polar sciences, and tell us how they became acquainted with each other’s methods and research worlds. Their collaboration started in 2020 within the frame of the PolARTS research grant by Pro Helvetia and the Swiss Polar Institute.

PolARTS is now open for applications until January 31th, 2022. For interested artists and scientists, a matchmaking event is organized on November 24 2021 in Zurich - Registration here.