Pulse - projects P-T

Pathways
Leicester My Genes Don't Fit

The project aims to develop the thoughts and opinions of a group of adult learners with learning disabilities through the exploration of drama and engage them in the making of a film which will in turn engage young people in the ethical debate surrounding stem-cell and human embryo research.

Events diary

		Riding Lights TC
		www.ridinglights.org	York Science Friction

		A national young people's tour of 'Science Friction' will go into 25 secondary schools and 12 public venues. Science Friction is a full-length play which follows the structure of a strand of DNA - two stories which intertwine around one another and which are connected by theme and human experience. The first story is that of Galileo and the conflict which still informs the relationship between science and faith in the 21st century. The second story is that of a geneticist working today and the clash between her professional and private lives.

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Sefton MBC
Merseyside The Place Where I Live	www.seftonarts.co.uk

The project will involve work with a summer youth theatre group to explore various biomedical issues leading onto a year's programme of workshops and performances by youth theatre groups.

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		Stan's Cafe
		www.stanscafe.co.uk	Birmingham Plague Nation

		Plague Nation by Stan’s Cafe explored the biology and global consequences of vaccination. Using rice to translate abstract population statistics into physical quantities, a grain per person, the project eventually led to a performance in the school gym/hall. Teams of students worked in relays carefully weighing out rice to represent their chosen statistics. Staff brought classes to view the performance and enhance their lessons. Further productions in Birmingham and Nottingham are planned.

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Theatre and Beyond
Brighton What Became of the Witch?	www.theplaysthething.com

'What Became of the Witch?' is a new play for young audiences (14-18 year olds) that explores society's obsession with eternal youth. The performance and associated workshop programme will challenge young people to engage creatively with the biological, medical, social, ethical and emotional processes of ageing.

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		The Theatre, Chipping Norton
		www.chippingnortontheatre.co.uk	Oxfordshire Enlightened

		The Chipping Norton Youth Theatre will create a play entitled 'Enlightened' through research, devising and workshops. Writer Louise Page will work with 60 members of the youth theatre with the support of Professor John Page of UMIST. The play will take the theme of the bioscience of light and split it through the prism of text, performance, music, design and lighting.

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Trestle Theatre Company
Hertfordshire The Smallest Person	www.trestle.org.uk

The project will be the commissioning, rehearsal and touring of a new theatrical production, a collaboration between Trestle and 'od ghoti' in Blackpool, involving Bispham College Youth Theatre and Trestle Young People's Theatre Company. The play tells the story of 'The Sicilian Dwarf', Caroline Crachami, a freak show exhibit in Victorian London, and the struggle that ensued to gain control of her skeleton in the name of scientific progress. Juxtaposing Caroline's story with a modern character facing an ethical medical dilemma, the production aims to provoke and inform debate surrounding the impact of biomedical science on society, through the performances and a comprehensive education programme.

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		Tricycle Theatre
		www.tricycle.co.uk	London Don't bug me

		The project will look at the spread of disease and human responses to it through drama. The target audience will be Year 6 students in the local area. The project will focus on learning about the development of biomedical science through the use of narrative.

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University of Oxford Botanic Garden
Oxford The Rainforest Pharmacy	www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk

The Rainforest Pharmacy promenade theatre project investigated the use of the African cherry tree, Prunus africana, for the treatment of enlarged prostates. It was first used by villagers in Cameroon before being adopted by Western pharmaceutical companies. The project - which was researched, scripted and performed by students in the University of Oxford Botanic Garden - provides a case study that traces the problems caused by the tree’s over-harvesting and illegal collection.

Events diary


© Wellcome Trust 2003