Events

25 September 2008
Gore Park, Hamilton

26 September 2008
Metro Square, Toronto

Co-sponsored by the Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network

To mark National Biotechnology Week (NBW) 2008, OGI partnered with the Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network (GHBN) to engage over 600 students, teachers, and members of the general public in an exploration of genomics and biotechnology through back-to-back interactive performances in public settings.

Developed in collaboration with McMaster University, Dance 'N Action (DNA) in the Park took place on back-to-back days in downtown Hamilton and downtown Toronto. The events featured interactive dance, spoken-word, and other performances that explored DNA structure and function, genetic inheritance, and genomics as a new approach to life sciences research, helping raise awareness of the ever-increasing impact of genomics research on society.

"We were delighted at the turnout in each city as well as with the interactive format, which enabled participants to become part of the performance and to ask questions about their genes and the research that is helping us to better understand them. And given that genomics is the foundation of modern biotechnology research, it was a fitting inclusion in NBW, which showcases Canada's world-class biotechnology sector." -- Dr. Christian Burks, President and CEO of OGI

The Toronto event built on Biotechnology 101, an educational forum earlier in the day that the MaRS Discovery District put on in partnership with The Biotechnology Initiative (TBI) and the Canadian Biotechnology Education Resource Centre (CBERC), with the support of OGI.  The forum featured a lecture by the 2007 winner of the OGI Genomics Teaching Prize, Dr. Danielle Gauci, and a hands-on DNA extraction led by CBERC, engaging an audience of more than 200 Toronto-area secondary school students and teachers.

Dance 'N Action in the Park marked a continuation of OGI's efforts to explore potential links between creative minds in genomics research and in the performing arts. Building on the success of OGI's presentation of the Canadian premiere of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange's Ferocious Beauty: Genome during NBW 2007, this year's event took performances outdoors to the public.