TY - JOUR TI - Contagious Cities: an international collaborative enquiry AU -Ken Arnold AU -Danielle Olsen PY - 2021 VL - Special issue: Curating medicine IS - Autumn 2020 KW - artistic enquiry KW - co-production KW - culture and cause KW - epidemic preparedness KW - fellow enquiry KW - interactive storytelling KW - outputs and outcomes AB - Contagious Cities was a cultural project that explored how urban environments in different parts of the world have coped with infectious diseases. Its theme of how populations prepare for and deal with epidemics is a core strategic concern for Wellcome – the large health and medicine foundation behind the project. Thoroughly interdisciplinary in their approach, the variety of exhibitions, events and other cultural activities the project supported placed a special emphasis on the illuminating potential for artists to investigate medical, scientific and social phenomena. The initiative also drew inspiration from Wellcome’s track record of curating interdisciplinary projects in its own museum in London, and approached its international ambitions (in Geneva, New York, Hong Kong and Berlin) through partnership and co-production. This article looks back at this unusual project, which ironically was concluded just before the world plunged into the current pandemic. The emphasis here, however, is somewhat less on the project’s themes – the fascinating and frightening implications of human co-existence with microbes in crowded contexts. Instead, we have focused on the complexities of working with multiple stakeholders in very different contexts, and we reflect on Wellcome’s role as an experienced, knowledgeable and creative, but also powerful and well-funded partner cum commissioner. Media not found N1 - For more information, see Art in Global Health: Insights and considerations for future artist residencies in health research programmes (wellcome.org) N1 - How London became the tuberculosis capital of Europe | Cities | The Guardian N1 - Though in all honesty, our methodology has become much clearer in hindsight, after being thoroughly worked out in practice. PB - The Science Museum Group SN - 2054-5770 LA - eng DO - 10.15180/201405 UR - https://journal.sciencemuseum.ac.uk/article/contagious-cities/ T2 - Science Museum Group Journal