Ioanna Daphne Giannoulatou
Participant in the design of "Jac's River Adventure" project
A visual artist, Dr Ioanna Dafni Giannoulatou holds a PhD in Theatre and Education Sciences. She is currently working as a researcher and artist at Freshwater Interdisciplinary Research and Engagement Laboratory (F.I.R.E. Lab), Swansea University, Wales. Her research focuses on ArtScience (Sci-Art), as well as the dissemination and communication of themes related to the freshwater ecosystem through the arts. In this context, she has participated in the design of Jac's River Adventure activities.
Jac's River Adventure is a brief poem for children from 4 to 11 years old, inspired by the river and the ecosystem of Tawe River in Wales. Written by Dr. Stephanie Januchowski-Hartley, the poem was published in 2020 and was funded by the Welsh European Funding Office, European Regional Development Fund, and Swansea University for Project 8076-SU-140 (West). It was illustrated by Joelle Evans. Dr Giannoulatou was in charge of designing STEAM activities (Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematics), as well as of creating additional visual material (website, audiobook, and video, among others). The educational material was published in English and Welsh. It will be given for free in kindergartens and primary schools in Wales during the school year 2020–2021.
Jac's River Adventure is also used by the interdisciplinary team to provide answers to research questions. In collaboration with the STEM Ambassadors program, Dr. Januchowski-Hartley and Dr Giannoulatou have organized a series of online workshops for children. Taking the story of Jac as a starting point, they have created a space where students can discuss, reflect, draw inspiration and be creative about the ecology, history, and geography of their local river. The online workshops are recorded and are used as data, aiming at answering questions related to: a) the relationship of participant students with fresh-water ecosystems, and b) the nature and efficiency of interdisciplinary collaborations as well as the design of ArtScience activities.
