Every two years, the ECSA conference brings together hundreds of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, funding organisations and engaged citizens to exchange experiences and discuss the transformative potential of citizen science. Among the participants were Dr Andrea Schmidt and Mathieu Mahve-Beydokhti, BSc MA, from the LBG Open Innovation in Science Center, who presented their current work on the participatory project Ankerpunkte. This project co-creates an artistic and creative programme in a rural Austrian region to deal with dementia: against shame and isolation and more social inclusiveness.

Citizen science needs impact evaluation beyond traditional metrics. Therefore, the project Anchorpoints explore arts-based methods to capture holistic outcomes, including emotional and physical aspects. The project builds on experience from a pilot final reflection format conducted in November 2024 in the context of five public health citizen science projects that concluded last year. In this pilot, the team collaborated with artists who used performative methods to capture a more holistic perspective on the outcomes of the projects. These experiences will now be further developing the “Ankerpunkte” project.

The discussions at ECSA 2026 also highlighted a broader development in the field: Citizen science continues to expand and evolve, with an increasing number of projects moving beyond involving citizens solely in data collection. Instead, participants are becoming active and integral partners in the research process, helping to shape questions, methods, and outcomes.