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On 26th September 2025, the city of Seville It once again became an epicenter of knowledge and citizen encounter on the occasion of a new edition of The European Night of Researchers, an event held simultaneously in more than 350 European cities, aims to bridge the gap between science and society. During a unique day, streets, museums, squares, and research centers open their doors to showcase, in a friendly and participatory way, the work being done in laboratories, universities, and innovation projects. The initiative, promoted by the European Commission as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, has established itself as a benchmark for scientific dissemination and social awareness around the value of knowledge as a driver of transformation.
In this international framework, Seville It featured a broad program that brought together hundreds of researchers from all disciplines: from biomedicine to astronomy, from engineering to the humanities and arts. One of the most enriching aspects of this edition was precisely the bets on interdisciplinary dialogue, showing that science does not only reside in laboratories but can also interact with artistic creation, pedagogy, and culture.
It was in this context that the professor and researcher Pilar Ordóñez Mesa, linked to Alicia Alonso University Institute of Dance (IUDAA) of Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and Alicia Alonso Higher Institute of Dance (ISDAA), together with the researcher Marta I. Sánchez Ordóñez, of the Spanish National Research Council, from the Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, presented a unique workshop that captured the attention of audiences of all ages. Their proposal, located in the Ángeles Alvariño Tent at the House of Science of Seville (CSIC), transcended the classic format of academic dissemination to offer an experience in which they were intertwined scientific knowledge, artistic practices and environmental awareness.
Pilar Ordóñez Mesa's participation was not an isolated intervention, but rather the expression of a career of research and teaching in which she has defended the importance of creative processes as a vehicle for understanding and transforming reality. By bringing a perspective that integrates dance, visuality, and artistic pedagogy to the field of scientific dissemination, her workshop demonstrated how art can become a an effective bridge to raise awareness among citizens about the major ecological challenges of our time, such as the spread of invasive species and the loss of biodiversity.
The activity, held in the Ángeles Alvariño Tent at the House of Science of Seville (CSIC), revolved around a tiny inhabitant of hypersaline ponds: the artemiaThese tiny crustaceans, almost invisible to the naked eye, are essential to ecological balance, as they serve as food for numerous aquatic birds—including flamingos, responsible for their characteristic pink color—and participate in natural salt production processes.
However, the ecosystems inhabited by native Artemia species are threatened by the presence of an invasive species from North America: Artemia franciscanaIntroduced through aquaculture and international trade, this species displaces local species and seriously alters biodiversity.
During the workshop, attendees were able to observe invasive brine shrimp live through binocular magnifying glasses, examine their eggs—considered the hardiest life form in the animal world—and learn to differentiate between males and females. The little ones had the opportunity to take home a brine shrimp cutout, turning the experience into a fun and memorable learning experience.
The objective was to invite the public to reflect on how a tiny creature can generate far-reaching impacts on global biodiversity, putting on the table the relevance of the biological invasions as one of the main threats to the planet's ecosystems.
The workshop also served to disseminate the project AlienArt, financed by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT, Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities) with a contribution of €35.000, and by the Tragsa Group with €2.500. This initiative, developed in collaboration between the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) and Matisse School of Art, seeks to raise awareness about invasive alien species through an approach educational and artistic, and opens the door to the participation of educational centers interested in being part of the program.
Pilar Ordóñez Mesa's contribution to this event is part of her line of work in creative and interdisciplinary processes in the performing arts, highlighting how dance, art and pedagogy can become vehicles for transmitting scientific knowledge and raising social awareness.
With activities like this, the IUDAA strengthens its commitment to applied research and dissemination, showing how the performing arts can engage in dialogue with other disciplines and become a bridge between science and society.
