The future of the Science Gallery is likely to be decided in the next few days, The University Times has learned, with the possibility of a government bailout on the table to resolve the gallery’s financial issues.
The Business Post reported last week that the gallery was to close in February 2022 due to financial unviability, but a source familiar with the developments told this newspaper that the closure was not yet definite.
Concerns over the number of staff the gallery employs, as well as the impact of the pandemic, have featured in discussions surrounding the gallery’s future. The Provost is to meet with Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris next week, as well as with relevant stakeholders, to discuss the gallery’s future. It will also be discussed at College Board this week, Trinity’s top decision-making body.
Doyle may seek a government bailout from the government, but the Science Gallery board would have to approve this.
Just had a really productive call with @SimonHarrisTD and we both agreed to sit down together next week, with other departments and stakeholders, to discuss the future of @SciGalleryDub #ScienceGalleryDublin
— Linda Doyle (@LindaDoyle) October 29, 2021
A petition has been launched against the possible closure of the gallery. At the time of writing, it has amassed 3,055 signatures.
The petition reads: “Thousands have visited the Science Gallery over the years, to learn more about the world we live in, to make treasured memories with family and friends, to see the amazing amount of effort that goes into every part of every exhibition and installation.”
“To close the Science Gallery is to close another valuable part of Dublin’s culture.”
“We won’t let Trinity contribute to the death of Dublin. The Science Gallery is an institution worth fighting for and worth keeping open.”
The extended closure of the gallery during the pandemic was a factor in the decision. It re-opened last Friday for what will be its last exhibition.
Trinity has not commented publicly on the Business Post’s original report.
The Science Gallery opened in 2008 and aimed to encourage interest in scientific discovery and creativity through its exhibits, which combined art and science. More than three million visitors have attended since its opening.
It is part of the Global Science Gallery Network, created by Trinity, which has other locations in London, Melbourne and Berlin. Other galleries will not be closing.
Chris Horn, who served as chairman of the Science Gallery’s governing board until 2012, told the Business Post that he was surprised by the decision.
It provided a platform to “experiment with the potential social and ethical consequences of new research”, she added.
The current exhibition, “BIAS”, is an interactive exploration of preferences, prejudices and digital equity. It interrogates how prejudice can move from human to machine, as algorithms and artificial intelligence systems are encoded by humans.
