Organization of a Marine Conservation Awareness and Outreach Event

From the very beginning, outreach and communication have had a very important weight in Sciaena’s work, as one of the main drivers for creating the organization was the need to bridge the gap between science and society. The internship will consist of organising an edition of one of Sciaena’s standing outreach projects – Mar Motto (http://www.marmotto.com). The basic concept of Mar Motto is that art can be a very effective tool for scientific dissemination and environmental awareness. And so Mar Motto is essentially an art exhibition, organized once a year in a Portuguese city, where local artists are invited to create works of art inspired by the ocean and the need to protect them. The works of art are then sold or auctioned with a part of the proceeds being donated to Sciaena to develop future initiatives. The exhibition also creates a setting for other outreach events, such as lectures, documentary screenings, talks, performances, etc.

The basic layout of the work program is as follows:

  • Arrange a venue for the exhibition (for 1 to 2 months) and establish other partnerships necessary to organizing and promoting the event.
  • Establish contacts with local/national/international artists and ensure the participation of 10 to 15 of them.
  • Prepare outreach materials on marine conservation to deliver during the exhibition.
  • Coordinate the assemblage of the exhibition.
  • Organize the opening event of the exhibition and at least three other events during the period it is open.
  • Update Mar Motto and Sciaena’s websites and social media profiles and generate activity in these about the exhibition.
  • Ensure media coverage of the opening event, the other events and the exhibition itself.
  • Produce a report, a picture gallery and a video about the exhibition.

In global terms, the student will have the opportunity to be integrated in an ENGO with consistent and recognized work on marine conservation both at national and European level, and develop skills that are not only useful for ENGO work, but also for other kinds of positions in the public and private sector.

Language requirements: 
English (mandatory) Portuguese (Optional)
Specific competences required : 
Good communication and organizational skills. This project is a group effort and being a team-player is a must.
Safety issues: 
None.
Accommodation possibilities : 
Although the NGO cannot provide housing, we can assist in finding a room/apartment.
Additional costs to be covered by the student: 
No
COVID-19 contingency plan: 
The 2020 edition of Mar Motto took place online due to COVID-19, in a different format that the one we normally use. Although we are optimistic in that we will be able to organize a physical edition of this art festival, it is possible that it will be more like a gallery, without as many side-events as we normally would have. If COVID-19 makes it impossible for the student to work on-site, we are open to discuss the possibility of carrying the work online.
format: 
on-site