101410/Z/13/Z: The Aware Collaboration

Project Summary:The Aware Collaboration is a unique project about consciousness involving a composer, a poet, two anaesthetists and two national institutions. It entails the creation of a new musical work by Michael Zev Gordon and Ruth Padel. Their previous work together with anaesthetist Andrew Morley resulted in 'Allele'. This forty part choral piece, part of the Music from the Genome (MftG) project, won Michael the 2011 BASCA Composer of the Year award (choral section). For the new work, Michael and Ruth will use some unique unpublished source material. The 5th National Audit Project (NAP5) of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) is collating details of all UK episodes of accidental awareness during general anaesthesia for 2012-3. Professor Jaideep Pandit, Lead of NAP5, will share the relevant data with Michael and Ruth - especially the anonymised, verbatim, patient accounts of their awareness experience. The work will be a response to these accounts, informed by visits to anaesthetic rooms and operating theatres with Andrew. The new work will premiere in March 2014 at Aware , a public engagement event at the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) London headquarters. At Aware , Jaideep will also present the NAP5 results to the public for the first time, focussing public attention on the scientific outputs of the audit. Aware will also feature discussions about awareness during anaesthesia, and the science of consciousness, with senior researchers across the disciplines. Alongside the new work, musicians will perform other music on the theme of dreaming and consciousness.

Grant Holder:Dr Andrew Morley

Organisation:Royal Society of Medicine

Financial Year:2012/2013