Darwin Originals: Exploring the legacy of Charles Darwin through film
The 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of 'On the Origin of Species', the book where he laid out the theory of evolution, both occurred in 2009. Darwin 200 was a programme of events and projects throughout 2009, organised by scientists and artists alike to commemorate his work. The eight short films making up ‘Darwin Originals’ were commissioned by Channel 4, supported by the Wellcome Trust and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and produced by Artsadmin and DVdance.
A different artist or group of artists made each film, inspirations for which included passages from Darwin's books 'On the Origin of Species' and 'The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals'; his descriptions of ocean life from his voyage on the HMS Beagle; his family life, including his relationship with his wife Emma and the death of his daughter Annie at the age of 10; the evolution of red hair and the evolutionary trajectory of humans; and the reception of his ideas on evolution when they were first published.
Four of the films - 'What If?', 'The Thinking Path', 'Requiem for the Redhead?' and 'Fit to Survive?' - were shown on Channel 4's 3 Minute Wonder series in February 2009, and were later repeated on More4. The full series was screened in museums and galleries across the UK, as well as in Ireland, Portugal and Australia, between January 2009 and April 2010. They also were shown on the BBC Big Screens, in 18 locations across the UK, in October and November 2010. It is estimated that more than 250 000 people have seen the films either at one of these screenings or on the website.
Further information about the project, and the films, are available on the Darwin Originals website.
This project was part-funded by the Wellcome Trust Arts Awards scheme.
