Christmas is a far off memory, summer is still on the distant horizon, and the UK has been “treated” to lashings of rain. Keep your spirits up by trying something new, booking a ticket to a talk or making time to visit an exhibition. Here’s a fine selection of things to look forward to in February, so find something that tickles your fancy and reclaim winter by getting out and about.
Performances
Uluzuzulalia: An interactive children’s theatre performance – Touring the UK – from Saturday 1st February
What can your voice do? How does it do it? Uluzuzulalia will get you to experience your own voice like you’ve never heard it – or used it – or enjoyed it – discovering new vocal sounds round every corner. The performance is ideal for children aged 6 to 11. Book tickets now for Uluzuzulalia at a venue near you.
Navigations: Understanding the impact of terminal illness for world Cancer day at The Science Museum’s Dana Centre, London, 4th February
Navigations is about the brain, cancer, and the approaches of medical science and art to how we understand terminal illness. Artists Alec Finlay and Iain Gardner will talk about their new works developed in response to research and clinical work at two cancer centres in Scotland. The event is free but booking is essential.
Breath Cycle: A Scottish Opera – Touring Scotland - from 25th February
This project teamed up Scottish Opera composers and singers with patients with Cystic Fibrosis on an action-research project about the benefits of classical singing techniques. The performances form part of Scottish Opera’s Opera Highlights. To book ticksts or to find out more about this collaboration visit Scottish Opera’s website.
Exhibitions
Mansions in the Orchard: Life at Bethlem Royal Hospital -at Bethlem Gallery, London - showing Wednesdays-Fridays until 31st January
The exhibition combines symbolic site-specific photography by Max Reeves with the memories of those who have visited, worked at or used the Bethlem Royal Hospital. See the gallery site for more information about this exhibition and fascinating hospital.
The Romantic Disease: An Artistic Investigation of Tuberculosis, Watermans Art Centre, London - showing until 24th March
Anna Dumitriu’s new solo exhibition includes installations and sculptures made with strains of mycobacteria, transformed historical artefacts, and textiles that explore the literacy and romantic associations attached to Tuberculosis, and the latest research into whole genome sequencing of bacteria. There are ‘open lab’ art/science workshops with Anna Dumitriu and special guests, running on 15th and 22nd February, 1st, 15th and 22nd March. To find out more about Anna’s projects or to book a place onto one of these workshops visit Anna’s website.
Foreign Bodies, Common Ground, Wellcome Collection – extended until 16th March
Six artists, six countries. What happens when you set up six artist residencies in medical research centres across the world? This intimate exhibition showcases a diverse body of work from the artists who worked in research centres in Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and the UK. The artists were invited to spend at least six months exploring the activity of researchers and produce new work in response to their experiences. The result is a series of moving, challenging and humorous works, richly varied in form and tone. They record journeys taken within the complex realm that lies between scientific processes and local communities, often on the front lines of the battle against infectious disease. The Wellcome Collection gallery is open from 10am-6pm (Tues-Sun) with late opening (10am-10pm) on Thursdays.
Talks and other events
Perception: Using illusions to uncover how our brain works at Cambridge Science Centre – until 20th March
Now hear this! 20th February, 7pm. Can your ears can be fooled? What happens when your hearing gets damaged? Get within ear shot of some amazing hearing illusions and researchers.
Touchy Feely – 20th March, 7pm. What would your life be like without a sense of touch or pain? Get hands-on and discover the science behind how we feel and touch our way through the world.
Find about more about these event from the Cambridge Science Centre’s What’s On page.
What is Trust? – Wellcome Collection – 6th February, 7pm-8.30pm
It is said that trust is difficult to build up, but all too easy to destroy. But what is the basis of this intangible bond? What role does trust play in biomedical research? And is trust always a good thing, or is there a place for healthy scepticism? Join us for an interrogation of the meaning of trust from three very different perspectives: a psychologist who will give an insight into the biological basis of trust, a researcher with first-hand experience of building trust in communities in rural Kenya, and a sociologist of science who will present some infamous failures of trust in the history of science. Free ticketed event, speaker list and bookings via Wellcome Collection website.
Engagement Fellow Erinma Ochu, is involved the following talks:
The creative life of #citizenscience – 20th Feb, 10.35am, UCL, London. To book a place on this talk check out the Citizen Cyberscience Summit’s website, or for more information watch Erinma’s TED talk.
Citizen-led social innovation: re-booting academia – 10th Feb, 1.15pm Open University, Milton Keynes. For more information visit The Open University’s site.
Festival of the Spoken Nerd: I Chart the Library – 10th March, 7pm, British Library, London. Join Erinma Professor Jonathan Swinton, Matt Parker, Helen Arney, and Steve Mould for an evening of comedy, music and experiments.
Filed under: Funding, Public Engagement, Public engagement events listing Tagged: Cancer, citizen science, intelligent comedy, performance, Public Engagement, Science Museum 
