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Blood Art by Dervla Carroll

Everyone an artist, everyone a scientist - that's the Fun Palaces motto and as part of its campaign it launched its WriteScience competition, inviting people of all ages and backgrounds to take part in a different kind of writing competition, one that’s about bringing arts and sciences together.

Entries were judged by Salt Publishing editor Jen Hamilton-Emery, literary agent Sophie Lambert, Writing West Midlands Chief Executive and poet Jonathan Davidson, and Fun Palaces co-director and writer Stella Duffy.

Eighteen year-old Dervla Carroll from Crumlin in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, was among the six entries chosen to perform their poems at Fun Palaces across the country.

Dervla, who will be moving from Northern Ireland to go to university in England on the Fun Palaces weekend, shares her poem Blood Art as Get Creative's Fun Palace.

WriteScience

Dervla Carroll, from Northern Ireland, reads her poem Blood Art.

"I grew up in a rural village in Northern Ireland: my love of English began as a way to occupy myself during rainy summers, but later developed into a deeper affinity for creative writing. However, science has always been a part of my life, as both my parents trained as dentists and my sister has just graduated as a doctor.

"This duality has only deepened my conviction regarding the need for greater interface between STEM subjects and the arts, particularly given the relative inflexibility of entry requirements and the A Level curriculum."

More WriteScience poems

Everyone an artist, everyone a scientist

At the heart of the Fun Palaces campaign is the idea of arts and sciences working together - both to bring people together in local events, and also to create new work.

In 2014, 138 Fun Palaces popped up across the UK in gardens, tents, woodlands, shops, car parks, schools, theatre, arts centres, libraries, public squares, town halls, a butcher's shop and a swimming pool. All made by local people for their own communities, bringing together arts and sciences.

The Fun Palaces manifesto: "We believe in the genius in everyone, that everyone is an artist and everyone a scientist, and that arts and sciences can change the world for the better. We believe we can do this together, locally, with radical fun – and that anyone, anywhere, can make a Fun Palace."

Ideas to exercise your mind

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