Wrapping Up the PDI Artist-in-Residence 2024/2025

On Monday, March 10th, we marked the conclusion of the formal phase of the PDI Artist-in-Residence 2024/2025 program with a special seminar featuring external guests.

Over the past three months, theatre artist Mary Kelly immersed herself in our institute, engaging with researchers, exploring the nuances of materials science, and reflecting on the broader impact of our work. For Mary, this residency was a rare opportunity to step into a scientific environment and draw inspiration from a completely new perspective.

In her seminar, she shared insights from previous collaborations with institutions outside the arts, such as the Irish Cancer Society and the Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre. These projects followed a structured creative process—starting with an investigative phase where she built trust with her adopted community, followed by the writing and ultimately culminating in a staged production. In each of these examples, she brought her collaborators with her every step of the way. They helped her to refine the work and keep it rooted in the essence of their community's values.

Mary, alongside performers Cathy Walsh and Nina Hynes, brought these works to life in the PDI foyer, momentarily transforming our institute into a theatre space. The event also featured contributions from others working at the intersection of science and theatre:

• Prof. Dr. Regine Hengge, microbiologist from Humboldt University with a keen interest in storytelling in science.
• Günther Grosser, Co-Artistic Director of English Theatre Berlin, which runs Science&Theatre—a project translating the social and ethical dimensions of science into performance.
• Lori Baldwin, an interdisciplinary artist and member of Science of Rave, an immersive experience fusing science with electronic music.

Mary also reflected on where she stands creatively after her time at PDI:

"I see patterns in the ways your minds work, and I found it really interesting. There is a healthy ambition and patience in the way you talk about your work. When you spoke about your motivations, you came to life. You were able to explain your research in ways that I could understand. I'll go into my incubation stage now—but we’ll stay in touch."

Although this marks the end of Mary’s formal residency at PDI, it is not the end of our journey together. Over the coming months, she will continue to process and integrate what she has learned. We will be in touch with her regularly as she refines and brings her ideas to life and share updates on her progress.