NEWSLETTER #3
Check out the third issue of the STARLIGHT Newsletter to find out about the anniversary of the STARLIGHT webinars, the results of the STARLIGHT school in Bulgaria and the plans for the upcoming one in Italy!
Author: Chiara Lamberti
The First Webinar of the STARLIGHT Project
On 4th April 2023 the first webinar of the STARLIGHT project was held.
During the three-hour video conference, a team of international professionals discussed multiple topics related to light pollution, dark skies, and audience engagement.
Firstly, after Greti Manfreda (RDA)’s brief presentation of the agendas of the STARLIGHT webinars, Stefanie Suchy (TyEO) illustrated the importance of the nighttime from a scientific, philosophical, and cultural point of view, as well as the causes and effects of ALAN, i.e. artificial light at night.
Secondly, Sandra Jiménez (FCL) broadened the topic from a biological point of view. Indeed, she focused on the importance of the day-night cycle for different species and the effects of changes in the biorhythms of both animals and human beings due to artificial lighting.
Thirdly, Daniele Gardiol (INAF) showed, by means of the Stellarium software, how to plan a naked-eye observation of the night sky according to space and time constraints, the horizon, and the seasonality of constellations. Furthermore, he highlighted how the storytelling of myths and legends through stargazing can be the perfect medium to engage the audience.
Finally, Enrico Di Nola (INAF) provided a thorough analysis of the theory and practice of storytelling. By providing accurate definitions and examples across multiple media, such as literature, cinema and politics, he demonstrated the innate curiosity of human beings for stories. Moreover, he drew a clear distinction between telling a story and building an effective narrative in order to enable communication through narration.
The first STARLIGHT webinar ended with a group workshop activity and Carlos Fernández Martínez (FCL)’s presentation of the Picos de Europa National Park in Spain, where one of the three schools of the STARLIGHT project will be held.
STARLIGHT Participants Selected!
The participants of the STARLIGHT project have been officially selected.
The group consists of 60 people from all over Europe. Among the participants we can count 30 Italians, 8 Austrians, 8 Bulgarians, 7 Germans, 4 Spaniards, 1 Belgian, 1 Hungarian, and 1 Slovenian.
The members of this multicultural group are students and experienced tourism professionals, who will be able to increase their knowledge and acquire new competences in the field of Astrotourism thanks to the STARLIGHT Toolkit, but not only. Indeed, our educational Webinars will begin soon.
In particular, we will start on 4th April 2023 with the first webinar that will focus on the following topics: scientific popularisation on astronomy and biodiversity, light pollution and dark skies, environment and nightlife, astronomy and stargazing, and audience engagement through storytelling.
Then, on 8th May 2023, the second webinar will address the topic of experiential tourism and some case studies will be both presented and analysed. Finally, on 22nd May 2023, the third and final webinar will cover the topics of entrepreneurship and territorial and digital marketing.
During each webinar, one of the three Schools will be presented in order to start discussing with the participants their future field experience in Bansko, Luserna San Giovanni or the Picos de Europa National Park. Indeed, over the next year and a half, all of our 60 participants will be given the opportunity to participate in a 5-day stay in Bulgaria, Italy or Spain with a view to further enriching their knowledge and putting it into practice.