Creators
Let's create
Our yearly meetup for scicomm professionals (and aspiring scicomm professionals). This year's theme? CREATORS: Who are we as scicomm creators, how can we up our game? Let's create!
This year, we will be looking inward instead of outward. We will focus on:
(1) ourselves: why do we create, what are our ambitions, incentives, expectations?
(2) our role: how our identities, beliefs and values influence our work
(3) our formats: practical sessions on the creating different scicomm formats
With the support of
Preliminary schedule
10.00 AM
Welcome
Welcome to the 5th edition of BE SciComm
10.15 AM
A life in scicomm
This year’s keynote features Martijn Peters, science communicator, PhD in biomedical sciences, and Science & Weather coordinator at DPG Media. In this keynote interview, we reflect on Martijn’s journey from the lab to the (social) media spotlight and explore what it means to be a creator within the evolving Belgian science communication landscape.
11.00 AM
Purpose
Interactive session on ambitions, incentives, dreams and realities when navigating the scicomm field
11.30 AM
Us & them
We pick the brains of two researchers about how our self-identification as science communicators, influence the success of our communication efforts. We talk to Jasper Van Assche (Université Libre de Bruxelles) who studies group think & intergroup conflict, and to Daniel Silva Luna (University of Augsburg) who studies how emotions, beliefs, values, and identities affect science communication.
12.30 PM
Lunch
Food and networking
13.30 AM
Parallel sessions
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Creating... shorts
How do you turn complex science into a 60-90 second vertical video that people actually watch? Where do hooks, captions, and visuals do the heavy lifting, and what gear do you really need? In this parallel session, you can ask all your questions to a prolific scicomm-er using shorts on different media.
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Speaker: Wietse Chanet (INBO & Phasmedia)
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Creating... a podcast
Should your idea be a podcast? What format fits your audience? And how do you record, edit, and distribute without a studio? From concept and episode arcs to trailer scripts, show notes, and transcripts, this practical session helps you design a pilot and a simple production plan you can sustain.
Speaker to be confirmed
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Creating... meaningful interactions
How do you move beyond one-way messaging to real dialogue? When do co-creation, workshops, and live Q&A work best? And how do you prepare for tough questions? Learn facilitation tools, ethical guardrails, and evaluation tips. You’ll leave with a blueprint to run your next live event.
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Speaker: Sara Verstraeten (Koi)
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Creating... a book
Should I write a book? How do I write a book? What does a (popular science) publisher want? If you have always wanted to write a book, this session is for you! Fire away at experts on written science communication: a publisher and an author. In an interactive Q&A workshop, they will guide you through every question big and small in the wonderful world of writing science books.
Speaker TBC
03.00 PM
Break
More time to talk to fellow participants.
03.45 PM
The future of scicomm in Belgium
The BE SciComm team invites guests and the audience to think of how we can and should advance sicomm practice, research and education locally.
04.30 PM
Wrap-up + Drinks
To end the day, we head over to Brewdog for a drink
Meet the speakers
Wietse Chanet
Wietse Chanet is a Belgian scientist and science communicator specializing in stick insects (Phasmida). As Phasmedia (and WilderWickie), he breeds and showcases phasmids across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, and shares his work through exhibitions and media. He was nominated for the Bisou Award.
Daniel Silva Luna
Daniel Silva Luna is a researcher specializing in science communication. He studies how communicators’ beliefs, values, and identities shape what and how they convey—and how this influences effectiveness and audience perception. His prior work focuses on emotion in sci-comm: which emotions are used, why, and the strategies for weaving them into stories.
Sara Verstraeten
Sara runs Koi together with Michele Fontana. They specialize in live events that allow direct connections with audiences. Using various formats tailored to different communication preferences, they create exciting, interactive, and memorable experiences. Through immersive storytelling, gamification, and interactive challenges, they captivate and inspire curiosity, fostering a deeper understanding of your science.
Martijn Peters
Martijn Peters is the resident science explainer for VTM Nieuws and Het Laatste Nieuws, and an award-winning creator on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. He tackles everyday and unexpected questions, unpacking science in clear, engaging stories. He’s the author of two books, turning curiosity into accessible, trustworthy science communication.
Jasper Van Assche
Jasper Van Assche (ULB) is a social psychologist studying intergroup relations, ideological climates, and individual differences. His work on prejudice, political attitudes, and basic psychological needs offers practical insights for science communication about diversity and polarization.
