103605/Z/14/Z: Brainstorm: Adolescent Brain Development Play and Project Islington Community Theatre / Blakemore Lab, University College London

Project Summary:Brainstorm is a new theatre project exploring teenagers relationship with the science of adolescent brain development. It is based on a successful pilot that ICT undertook in February/March 2013 and will be led collaboratively by professional theatre directors and Professor Sarah- Jayne Blakemore and her colleagues at the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (DCN) Lab at University College London. Brainstorm will use theatre as a unique platform for young people and neuroscientists to explor e adolescent brain development in a way in which, through dialogue, the participants inform the science as much as the other way round. At the heart of the project is the creation of a new professional quality play called Brainstorm, performed by young people to 1,500 other young people and their parents at the Unicorn Theatre. We will also produce an online film of the play, a guide for other young people to make their own version of the play and a joint TED Talk with Professor Blakemore at the Royal Albert Hall. The play will be created through a series of research and development workshops with 120 young people in which we will explore how adolescent brain development as described by scientists is interpreted by adolescents in relation to their own experiences. Through this we will find new ways of communicating the science and impact of brain development that will be incorporated into the play and, ultimately, provide neuroscientists with fresh perspectives to provoke new scientific questions based on the responses of both the workshop participants and audiences.

Grant Holder:Mr Adam Coleman

Organisation:Miscellaneous London

Financial Year:2013/2014