As part of Science Week Ruth and I thought it appropriate we announce our support of $4m to Melbourne University to help build the Science Gallery Melbourne. It is part of the acclaimed global network helping inspire young people to be more engaged in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM).
Science Gallery Melbourne will be a living laboratory for exhibitions and ideas. Part experiment, part exhibition, the Gallery’s programs will connect, engage and showcase the work of artists, scientists, researchers, industry and a global network of collaborators.
Ruth and I were first exposed to the Science Gallery concept when we visited their original innovation hub in Dublin. What we saw there was truly inspirational. A venue where today’s white-hot scientific issues were thrashed out and where anyone could contribute. A place where science and art collide.
What really drew us to support the development of Science Gallery Melbourne is that in Dublin we saw the transformative experiences it provided at a crucial time in a young person’s life. We believe Science Gallery will have a lasting impact on the future and consider this gift an investment in Australia’s next generation of scientific and creative trailblazers.
The gallery will include over 3500 sqm of cutting-edge, immersive exhibition and learning spaces. Designed by William Smart at Smart Design Studios, the gallery will deliver modular exhibition spaces, theatres, workshop and social spaces. It will be accompanied by an immersive digital experience that allows interaction and connectivity for young people.
Science Gallery Melbourne’s purpose-built gallery will open in late 2020 as part of the University of Melbourne’s new innovation precinct Melbourne Connect. Located on the former Royal Women’s Hospital site at the intersection of Swanston and Grattan Streets, Melbourne Connect is a placed to be the new precinct for research, industry, government and students in a single, purpose-built site.
