Public Engagement
The Brains in a Dish project team deliver a diverse portfolio of dynamic , hands-on creative activities to inform and illuminate important features of the brain and showcase some of the ground-breaking technologies currently used in dementia research to try to understand these conditions on a cellular level.
Hands On : We deliver creative and accessable activities for families, schools and community groups. Activities include creating your own pipe cleaner neurons and neural networks, collaging brain cell cultures in petri dishes, programming laser light pathways, learning how to blow a glass ‘Selina Cells’ and creating your own mini braincell ‘bristle bots’.
AI + Digital : Robin Bussell has adapted machine learning neural networks (Media Pipe) to create a highly immersive embodied navigation tool through which participants are invited to see inside real people’s brains to learn about the brain. Using movement of your arms and bodies, participants navigate and explore 3D imagery through layers of brain imagery which offer important insights into how dementia impacts brain health.
This innovative Brain-Body-Interfaces invite you to interactively explore amazing scientific imagery used to study real people’s brains and witness powerful differences between brain health and impacts of dementias. Imagery captured as part of the amazing MIRIAD data set has been showcased through this new educational tool
Murphy & Bussell’s colourful Brainscan Headdress visualises brain activity through colours and patterns of light. Your movements navigate through beautifully intricate layers and spaces of brain images, .
Our targeted activities for schools, young people and adult community groups aim to raise the profile of dementia research and inform the aspirations of a wide range of local young people and communities interested in science, technology and the arts.
Our recent Barnsley Brains programme was financially supported by Barnsley Museums & Heritage trust, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Alzheimer Research UK’s Inspire Fund and the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Nov 2021 What can Science offer the Arts? Panel discussion event for Medi-Culture Festival, supported by Team London Bridge & SC1
Oct 2021 Professor Selina Wray’s inaugaural lecture,UCL (online)
Jan 2021 Growing the Stuff of Thought, (online) cocktail hour discussion, Normal? Festival of the Brain, Folkestone
May 2019 How to grow a human Talk and new book by Philip Ball, Royal Institute, London
May 2018 Murphy + Wray’s Neuronal Disco, created for Southbank’ B(old) Festival
May 2018 Charlie Murphy artist talk on the Brains in a Dish work in progress for Rare Dementia Support groups ( Hub,Wellcome Collection) , London
April 2018 Making monsters? Ethical gene editing discussion event, The Theatre, Royal Institute, London. Phillip Ball’s panel discussion including presentation from Dr Selina Wray
October 2017 Charlie Murphy, Dr Selina Wray and researcher Christopher Lovejoy contributed to Pint of Science/Creative Reactions : Dimensions of Dementia event, London,
Nov 2017 “Disco Morphologies- Dancing the connections between art and science’ presentation by Charlie Murphy and Dr Selina Wray for Powerful Partners at Royal Society for Public Health, London
