Who’s RUW Foundation?
RUW stands for: Re-Imagine the Universe Wageningen.
Most importantly, it’s WUR (Wageningen University and Research) backwards. As a foundation it was born in the 60s by students that wished to bring life to science by involving citizens into research.Our aim is to strengthen the Creative, Critical Community of Wageningen, through series of interactive events, workshops, masterclasses, lectures and projects that inspire critical thinking, lively debates, and creative research in the Wageningen community. We invite Wageningen inhabitants (bringing students together with other inhabitants) to critically reflect on events and dynamics in our community, handing participants skills, tools and means to reflect and reimagine. Aside from these events we publish our periodical newspaper the Jester, through which Wageningen inhabitants can share stories, perspectives, views in a creative and reflective sense.
We work together with local artists, activists, community centers, and other (student) organisations, setting up projects in collaboration, to which we invite students to participate, broadening their understanding and experience of the Wageningen community.
Who’s The Jester?
The Jester is one of the outputs of RUW Foundation, a newspaper printed 4 times a year and spread in multiple locations around town. It is based on the creative work of volunteer writers, editors, and illustrators. Born to be a critical editorial of amateur journalism (or citizen journalism if you will), it focuses on the relationship of science with society, and the entanglement formed by academia and our economic system.
The name – The Jester – was chosen in honour of the professional jokers or ‘fools’ who entertained medieval courts, and sometimes were bearers of bad news. They were portraying their observations of the world through witticisms and satire.
You might imagine The Jester as a cloud floating over Wageningen
with a magnifying glass. You might imagine The Jester as a creature that comes
out of its box when it hears of something worth investigating. You might
imagine The Jester as a slightly grotesque character, who you won’t necessarily
like immediately, but who you’ll definitely be intrigued by. Or you might think
of The Jester as the person sitting right next to you.
But why does the Jester do what they do? The Jester is a platform for people to explore their creativity. Stand in front of an empty paper and fearlessly putting a chunk of themselves in, whether it is collage, poems, illustrations.. experimentation is our only rule. And most importantly it is a hub of asking questions..
Can science communication be critical instead of a series of success stories? How are institutions accountable for harms they cause? How can we use humour to discuss about difficult issues, dismantling them and try to see them for what they really are? How to be playful and daring, yet responsible for your words?
But why does the Jester do what they do? The Jester is a platform for people to explore their creativity. Stand in front of an empty paper and fearlessly putting a chunk of themselves in, whether it is collage, poems, illustrations.. experimentation is our only rule. And most importantly it is a hub of asking questions..
Can science communication be critical instead of a series of success stories? How are institutions accountable for harms they cause? How can we use humour to discuss about difficult issues, dismantling them and try to see them for what they really are? How to be playful and daring, yet responsible for your words?
Logo by: Dominique Rooks
© The Jester 2024