Nigel Townsend and Ben Musgrave

On November 1st, Nigel Townsend Artistic Director Y Touring Theatre Company, Ben Musgrave playwright and author of 'Stunted Trees and Broken Bridges' (Y Touring’s current production) offered a digital lecture as part of the Knowledge Stream project. 

Y Touring Theatre company, an operation of Central YMCA is the Uk's leading Science/ Arts Theatre Company. The company commisions, develops and produces original plays that engage young adult audiences throughout the Uk, in conversations about the latest developments in biomedical science.

Y Touring's unique creative process involves leading UK scientists, playwrights and young adults in exploratory workshops throughout the development of their productions. Y Touring has used theatre as a means of exploring many developments in biomedical science including genetic selection and screening, personalised medicine, stem cell therapy, the biological basis of mental illness, animal to human transplants, the use of animals in medical research, anxiety and aging.

Y Touring's latest production ‘Stunted Trees and Broken Bridges’ has been specially created to engage young adult audiences in conversations about the theme of emerging neurotechnologies.

In this interactive lecture, Nigel and Ben rather than focusing exclusively on their presentation poured their energies into working with the audience. Lecture-goers could participate in individual exercises and pair and group work, during which they:

• explored what you think and feel about the future of Neurotechnology, and how it could effect our lives,
• learned how scientists and artists can work together and how theatre can be used to engage young adults in conversations about the latest developments in biomedical.