Join 4 of the biggest brains, most fun people, and forces for good in cutting edge neuroscience research, writing, and artwork.
We first met artist Charlie Murphy and Professor Selina Wray, when they trialled their now award-winning, ‘Neuronal Disco’ at Normal? Festival a couple of years ago. The following year, we featured Charlie’s ‘Brains in A Dish’ installation, which documented Charlie and science writer Philip Ball’s experience of having a little lump taken from their arms and turned into rudimentary brains, grown in a dish! Philip subsequently wrote the book ‘How to be Human’ as an ‘attempt to make sense of that strange experience and to understand the implications of our new-found power to transform cells.’
Grab a cocktail or a cuppa, and expect our minds to be blown as we hear from Professor Selina Wray telling us about her most recent work using cutting-edge techniques with stem cells to unravel the causes of dementia; Philip Ball shares insights and a reading from ‘How To Grow A Human’; and Charlie Murphy with electronics engineer Robin Bussell discuss their latest responsive artwork Spontaneous Synapses, informed by how their skin cells grew into brains... Then get involved in asking questions and saying what you think – no questions too simple, and all thoughts welcome.
Keep an eye on our social media for Brain Tickler and Teaser cocktail recipes from the team. The event will be hosted by Normal? co-curators.
* Read “Barnsley’s Selina Wray made a Professor of dementia research” HERE. *
* Read “Meet the Yorkshirewoman growing brain cells in a lab to find a cure for Alzheimer’s” HERE. *
Normal? Festival of the Brain is co-curated by Living Words, Creative Folkestone & Folkestone Fringe. Living Words is an arts & literature charity organisation working with those with a dementia as well as those from isolated backgrounds. Creative Folkestone, is an arts charity dedicated to transforming Folkestone through collective creative activity. We do these festivals to enrich the cultural calendar of our town, bring people together, and connect Folkestone with the wider world. Each year, the Normal? programme and themes are always produced through think-ins, in which anyone is invited to share ideas of what interests them, and what they would like to see happen together.
