The Neuronal Disco
This participatory dance workshopdeveloped by artist Charlie Murphy and Professor Selina Wray is a novel engagement tool for learning about brain development and the impacts of dementia on a cellular level. Disco dancing your way to understanding how brain cells are being grown ‘in a dish’, the Neuronal Disco invites participants to animate the development of brain cells as they dance to well-known pop songs.
Patterns and formations of neuronal growth, connection and communication are celebrated with finger lights and group choreographies – bringing disco dancing into the heart of molecular neurochemistry.
Inspired by the amazing cell transformations used in dementia research, this highly engaging event invites audiences of all ages to perform how their brains cells work and communicate .
Led by artist Charlie Murphy and Professor Selina Wray and members of her lab team, these accessible dance workshops celebrate the amazing functions and connections of our brain cells and offer unique insights into dementia research and the impacts of dementias on a cellular level.
The Neuronal Disco has been enthusiastically performed by many different audiences including primary school children in Barnsley (2022) , adult and family groups at Southbank’s B(old) Festival (2018) and Folkestone’s Normal? Festival of the Brain (2017.)
Large scale projections of research imagery around each of the surrounding walls of the dance space:
Finger lights in same colours as the protein dyes used in the lab are worn by participants-along with ‘sound to light’ bracelets that respond to bass and percussive sounds.