Public Engagement Events Listing – May 2016
With two bank holidays this month, what better way to spend them than enjoying one of our fantastic Wellcome Trust supported events?
Exhibitions
Silent Signal Exhibition – Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton – 13th May – 25 September
An ambitious group exhibition that brings six artists working with animation together with six leading biomedical scientists, to create experimental animated artworks exploring new ways of thinking about the human body.
Jacqueline Donachie: deep in the heart of your brain – GOMA, Glasgow – 20th May-14th November
A major solo exhibition by Glasgow-based artist Jacqueline Donachie, including sculpture and drawings made in the last five years alongside new works developed from a period of research with a group of women affected by an inherited genetic condition, made in collaboration with the UK Myotonic Dystrophy Patient Registry at The John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre in Newcastle. Central to the exhibition is the new film work Hazel, a powerful three screen installation that directly connects the experiences of the participants. Supported by a Small Arts Award.
Stutterer – Carroll / Fletcher Gallery, London – until 25th May
Thomson & Craighead’s video installation Stutterer shows how visual artists have represented the fundamental scales of life – from molecules to organelles to cells to tissue. Supported by a Small Arts award.
Louisa Martin – Cubitt, London – until 29th May
Following research in the fields of atypical perception, the neuroscience of embodiment, and autism, London-based multidisciplinary artist Louisa Martin stages an immersive installation at Cubitt. Set to explore bodies and embodied experiences that are not articulated in existing, standardised representational systems, this is Martin’s first solo exhibition in London. Supported by a Small Arts Award.
Theatre
Elegy – Donmar Warehouse, London – until 18th June
What if every neuron in the human brain could be mapped and decoded? Every act of human behaviour catalogued and wholly understood? Elegy imagines a very-near future with radical and unprecedented advances in medical science, through the story of three women who’ve made the choice between love and survival. Supported by a Small Arts Award.
Elegy Q&A with Josie Rourke – 17th May, 6pm: Director Josie Rourke in conversation with Deborah Bowman, Professor of Bioethics, Clinical Ethics and Medical Law, discussing how memory, identity and sense of self Elegyintertwine and the impact of their loss on individuals and those that love them.
Opening Skinner’s Box – West Yorkshire Playhouse – 5th-14th May
Improbable’s new show is a whistle-stop tour of the scientific quest to make sense of what we are and who we are, told through ten great psychological experiments and the stories of the people who created them. After the West Yorkshire Playhouse, the show will move to the Bristol Old Vic. Supported by a Small Arts Award.
The Marked – Brighton Fringe Festival – 7th-9th May
Theatre Témoin returns with a new show, using mask, puppetry, and physical theatre to navigate a dark and imaginative landscape. As a boy, Jack lived in a world of angels and demons who fed off the bravery and pain of the adults around him. Now grown, when a ghost from his past turns up Jack must harness the power of forgotten myths to defeat her. Funded by a People Award.
Reassembled, Slightly Askew – Battersea Arts Centre – 11th-28th May
An autobiographical, audio-based artwork that immerses the audience in writer Shannon Yee’s experience of descending into coma from a rare brain infection, brain surgeries, and her subsequent rehabilitation with an acquired brain injury. Audiences experience the performance via headphones, while on hospital beds wearing eyemasks. Funded by a Small Arts Award and showing as part of A Nation’s Theatre.
Gutted – HOME Manchester, 19th-21st May and Burton Taylor Studio, Oxford Playhouse, 25th June
The Conker Group and HOME present a new show of love, laughter and lavatories. Inviting you on a journey of frank confessions, colourful characters and too much brown sauce, Gutted is based on solo performer Liz Richardson’s real life experiences as a twenty-something living with Ulcerative Colitis. Supported by a People Award.
The Lounge – South Street Arts Centre, Reading – 26th-27th May
In a care home lounge somewhere in the South of England, 97-year old Marsha Hewitt begins the last day of her life. But she cannot go quietly. As the radiators burn and Jeremy Kyle blares, festering rivalries, estranged relatives and murderous impulses jostle for space on the Axminster carpet. Presented by Inspector Sands, The Lounge looks at the way we as a nation cope, or fail to cope, with the process of ageing we are all engaged in, young and old. Supported by a Small Arts Award.
Equations for a Moving Body – Camden People’s Theatre – 31st May-4th June
A story about the physiology of endurance – when our brains tell our bodies to stop – and the psychology of carrying on. It is the story about preparing mind and body for a 2.4 mile swim, 112 miles of cycling, then running a marathon. Alongside scientists and psychologists from the University of Northumbria, documentary footage from filmmaker Niall Coffey, and with help and direction from collaborator Alexander Kelly, Hannah Nicklin tells the story of what it means both psychologically and physiologically to train for and attempt a great feat of endurance. Funded through the Small Arts Awards.
Wild! – UK tour – until 10th July
A new one person show that unravels the story of a wayward yet fragile and misunderstood boy who lives within his untamed imagination, created by writer Evan Placey, tutti frutti, and CANDAL at Nottingham University. Funded through the Small Arts awards, the show is performed for children aged 3-8 years, their teachers and families.
Greg Foot: Caution – Safety Goggles Required – UK tour – 4th-19th May
Fresh from Blue Peter and BBC’s Factomania, join Wellcome Engagement Fellow Greg Foot for a show of curious questions and explosive answers. Greg will answer your questions live, whether that involves using a giant flamethrower, making a rainbow indoors or launching a space rocket! Bring along your own burning science questions for Greg to answer, or tweet them in advance to @gregfoot.
Events
Fertility Fest – Birmingham Repertory Theatre, 28th May and Park Theatre, London, 11th June
For lots of people IVF is a modern miracle and the media is full of stories of success. But two thirds of all IVF cycles fail – the statistics have changed very little since Louise Brown the first IVF baby was born in 1978 – and few talk about the devastating emotional impact of going through treatment. Fertility Fest, funded by a People Award, will bring together over twenty writers, visual artists, theatre-makers, film-directors, composers and fertility experts in a day of performance, discussion and debate.
The Quiet House – Birmingham Repertory Theatre, 26th May-4th June and Park Theatre, London, 7th June-9th July
Fertility Fest is taking place alongside the world premiere of Gareth Farr’s new play The Quiet House. An ordinary couple find themselves on an extraordinary journey when they enter the world of IVF. Forced to fight for the family they desperately want, they put their faith in science and their relationship through the ultimate test.
The Crunch
The Crunch dramatised dialogue events Act 1 – various venues
Come to this dramatised dialogue event, which will use an innovative format combining verbatim theatre and dialogue to encourage you to consider and talk about our food, our health and our planet. You are encouraged to attend Act 1 and Act 2 in your local area, and Act 3 in Oxford, so you can be taken on the full journey and see what you find out.
Cardiff Masonic Hall – 7th May
X-Fi Building, Exeter – 8th May
Centre for Life, Newcastle – 21st May
North Edinburgh Arts Centre – 22nd May
Family events – various venues
Stories, demos, experiments and hand-on activities exploring our relationships with food and how our food, our health, and our planet are all interconnected.
Balmoral Show, Balmoral Park, Northern Ireland – 11th-13th May
Rothes Halls, Fife Science Festival – 14th May
Aberdare Festival, Cynon, Taff, Wales – 28th May
Still on
Week 53 – The Lowry, Manchester – until 8th May
A festival of innovative, provocative, national and international work in a series of spaces including areas of the building normally off-limits to the public. It brings together contemporary dance, visual arts, music and theatre in interactive installations, exhibitions and performances, including Three Little Pigs, a new show for ages 2+. The festival is part of Clod Ensemble’s Sustaining Excellence Award. See the full programme here.
Nobody’s Home – UK tour – until 28th May
Set in a bathroom, Nobody’s Home follows a soldier’s journey through his own mind, as he struggles with the monsters of his past to finally come home. The next tour date is at Nuffield Theatre in Southampton on 12th April.
Level Up Human – various locations – until 7th July
Combining gene splicing, surgical enhancement and ambition, Level Up Human takes a light-hearted look at the alternatives to being human. Join Simon Watt and guests for the live recording of an exciting new podcast series at various venues, including Cheltenham Festival and Glastonbury. Funded by a People Award.
Wellcome Collection Events
This Is A Voice – Until 31 July
THIS IS A VOICE traces the material quality of the voice by looking inside vocal tracts, restless minds and speech devices to capture its complex psychological and physiological origins.
Conceived as an acoustic journey, the exhibition focuses on the emotions that resonate in the voice through rhythm, pitch and tone, as well as non-verbal forms of communication.
Voicings, a series of live vocalisations, will take place in the gallery every day (Tuesday to Sunday) at 12.00.
This Is A Voice: The Book – Out Now
A practical toolkit of 99 step-by-step vocal exercises to help speakers and singers of all abilities transform the quality of their voice. With a foreword by Cerys Matthews, the book is available now. This is a Voice: the book – now available
What Does Your Voice Say About You? – Thursday 12 May, 19.00-20.30
Voices are unique. As soon as we open our mouths to speak we reveal a lot about ourselves – our biology, status, geography and state of mind. Join us for a discussion on the relationship between the voice and identity.
States Of Mind: Tracing The Edges Of Consciousness – Until 31 July
Perspectives from artists, psychologists, philosophers and neuroscientists are presented together to interrogate our understanding of the conscious experience.
States of Mind: Tracing the edges of consciousness features a series of changing installations. The exhibition features the new installation, H.M. by Kerry Tribe, which opened this week. Find out more about the installations.
States Of Mind: The Book – Out Now
Understanding the nature of consciousness continues to challenge even the leading experts in the field. This collection of literature, science and art delves into the mysteries of consciousness and features an introduction by Mark Haddon. States of Mind is available online and from Wellcome Shop.
Disorders Of Consciousness – Thursday 19 May, 19.00-20.30
Neuroscientist Dr Sophie Duport and clinician Dr Kudret Yelden, from the Royal Hospital of Neurodisability, discuss the clinical, scientific and ethical issues that surround the care of patients at the edge of consciousness.
Minds Interrupted – Saturday 21 May, 13.00-15.00
How can you return to your life after brain injury, when your memory, movement or speech may have been significantly changed? Speak with people living with the effects of brain injury as they lead you through games and performance. This event is in partnership with Headway East London.
Minds Interrupted: My Beautiful Broken Brain – Saturday 21 May, 13.00-16.00
Her brain is broken. Her mind is limitless. A film about a young woman’s cerebral haemorrhage – with outcomes no one could have predicted.
Minds Interrupted: Peggy Shaw And Lois Weaver – Saturday 21 May, 16.00-17.30
In January 2011, Peggy Shaw had a stroke and shortly after made RUFF, a performance designed to illustrate the performer’s changed abilities. In this event, Shaw and RUFF director Lois Weaver share creative methods to reveal the power of the imagination in the face of extreme circumstances.
Winner Of The Wellcome Book Prize 2016: ‘It’s All In Your Head’ By Suzanne O’Sullivan
From a remarkable shortlist of six, Suzanne O’Sullivan has been announced as the winner of the Wellcome Book Prize 2016 for ‘It’s All in Your Head’.
Friday Late Spectacular: Display – Friday 6 May, 19.00-23.00
Join us for our next Friday Late Spectacular!
Candoco Dance Company, the company of disabled and non-disabled dancers, curate our next Friday Late. Experience intimate moments of contemporary dance and sound and consider the subtleties and complexities of what it means to be on display with live performances, talks and workshops.
This is a special late-night event with a bar running all night.
The Morbid Anatomy Salon – Thursday 5 May, 19.00-20.30
The Morbid Anatomy blog and museum in New York hosts thinkers and artists excavating the intersections of the history of art and medicine, death and culture. At this event, hear a series of illustrated talks by contributors to the recently re-released Morbid Anatomy Anthology.
The Craft Of Medicine: Illumination Through Conversation – Saturday 14 May, 11.00-17.00
What can a surgeon and a tailor learn from one another? More than you might imagine… Mingle with Professor Roger Kneebone, clinicians and craftsmen for an unconventional day of informal conversation and even try some handiwork of your own.
Library Insights: Open Your Mind – Thursday 12 May, 18.00-19.00
Mental health care and the work of mental health charities changed dramatically in the 20th century. This talk will explore the changes through original material from the newly catalogued archive of Mind (formerly the National Association for Mental Health).
Packed Lunch: Air Pollution And Health – Wednesday 18 May, 13.00-14.00
Frank Kelly, Professor of Environmental Health at King’s College London, talks about why air pollution from traffic is a problem in London, how it affects our health, and what can be done about it.
Soul Machine: The Invention Of The Modern Mind – Monday 23 May, 18.00-19.00
Prize-winning author, historian and psychiatrist George Makari takes us back to the origins of modernity, a time when crisis in religious authority and the scientific revolution led to searching questions about the nature of human inner life and how a new concept – the mind – emerged as a potential solution.
Youth Programme
Saturday Studio: Creative Sounds – Saturday 21 May, 14.00-15.30 &15.30-17.00
In these practical workshops, singer-songwriter Jonny Berliner will talk you through the mechanics of the voice and introduce you to a range of vocal techniques. He will also go through the basics of composition to show you how to record your own a cappella compositions using GarageBand on ipads. This workshop is inspired by our exhibition THIS IS A VOICE. We’ll provide all the materials you’ll need
Online
Van Gogh’s Portrait Of A Doctor
Paul-Ferdinand Gachet was a maverick physician who had a consulting room in Paris at the end of the nineteenth century. He was an art lover/collector, amateur artist and a friend of many artists, including Vincent van Gogh. Read about their brief but significant relationship, resulting in the only etching Van Gogh ever created.
Explore Matthew Herbert’s Chorus Online
Part of THIS IS A VOICE, Matthew Herbert’s Chorus uses visitors’ voices to form an ever-expanding sound installation. Explore Chorus online using the interactive tools to adjust the voices and add your own.
Electric Lullaby – available on iTunes
Electric Lullaby is an adsorbing first person exploration game about sharing your body with a monster within you on an adventure about sleep, alter egos and co-operation. Embark on a journey to awaken a dreamlike world, by restoring ancient monuments and managing your character’s sleep. Progress is made through the relationship with your alter ego, who is controlled by your device when you stop playing.
April 2016 marked the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare. One way we’re commemorating this anniversary is by exploring the four bodily humours and their effect on some of Shakespeare’s most famous characters. Find out more about the humours in Shakespeare and how they’ve been represented in the work of the Bard of Avon.
