Margarete Kraemer has been busy on a new project – How trailblazer scientist Marie Curie claimed her place at the periodic table – and, with her new knowledge, has created an exciting one-night-event at Tauranga’s Historic Village.
Here’s Margarete’s story:
I did the street test. “Do you know Marie Curie?” Answer version one: most often a blank stare. Version two: “Yes, the nurse service.” This answer came from people with a British background. Marie Curie is the name of UK’s leading end-of-life charity providing frontline nursing and hospice care. Version three: “Ah, the great French scientist,” sometimes with the added “and Nobel Prize winner”.
Oh dear, I thought, there’s work to be done. While the latter two answers weren’t exactly wrong, they showed how little most people knew about who Marie Curie really was.
A Polish icon and female role model
For quite some time I had been looking for an opportunity to present a Polish topic again. I was born in Poland and take pride in my heritage. Two years ago, I organised a Polish poetry event at the Jam Factory. It was a sell-out.
Earlier this year, the cinema at Tauranga’s Historic Village became part of The Incubator and available for hire for a wide range of event formats. Also, an opulent recent movie about the life of Marie Curie could be sourced for screening. I knew this was the perfect combination for my next project: to showcase this famous female science icon who has a strong link to Poland.
Two women from my poetry event, Anya Fischer and Monika Byrne, are also again involved in this mixed format of edutainment. Fittingly, both are also Polish born and even have a science background: Anya is an optometrist, Monika is a doctoral candidate who studies how artificial intelligence can be used to train medical and other health students to be more empathetic.
Relevance here and now
The movie is a visual delight, but it leaves out Marie Curie’s childhood and adolescence, starting with her moving from Poland to Paris at 24 years old. Therefore, I added a way of covering that time period and Marie Curie’s Polish side. I also wanted to make sure it was relevant with regard to time and place, so I decided to include a panel interview preceding the movie with three local women who share their views about women in science today – Chris Duggan, founder of House of Science; Julia Banks, convener of Cafe Scientifique; and Dr. Rebecca Lawton, marine scientist and Senior Lecturer at University of Waikato’s School of Science.
Join us on Monday, 5th December for what will be a memorable evening.
RADIOACTIVE
A Night With Marie
Join us at The Village Community Cinema for, A NIGHT WITH MARIE – screening the biopic film RADIOACTIVE, which retraces the extraordinary life of Marie Curie in a way that’s visually rich and emotionally moving, as well as exceptional guest speakers joining us on the night……
Graduating from high school with distinction, Marie Curie had no problem enrolling at university to study science. Encouraged by tailwind from family, friends and a supportive environment she effortlessly sails through physics and chemistry. She studied a doctorate, became a university lecturer, and with generous funding, made break-through discoveries that earnt her not only one but two Nobel Prizes.
Marie Curie had the world at her feet.
Only, it wasn’t quite that way. Neither is it easy today for women to forge successful careers in science or STEM.
No science degree needed to attend and enjoy the evening!
Please note: the movie is rated M16. Tickets available HERE
Main image shows Dr. Rebecca Lawton (L) with event organiser Margarete Kraemer