The Winchester Festival of Art and Mind
Have you ever been moved, delighted, fascinated or disgusted by a work of art – and wondered why? Have you ever wondered why you like that song? Why that film? That Play? That painting?
This Festival, the first of its kind, will explore the way works of art make their affects on the human brain. In a unique combination of science and art we have brought together some of the world’s most eminent thinkers and artists to examine the way we experience music, dance, film and visual art.
In recent years scientists have begun to unravel answers to these questions. Using new scanning techniques we can now look very closely into the workings of our brains. And we are beginning to see exactly what is happening when we experience a work of art.
Over a period of two and a half days there will be performances by both jazz and classical musicians and dance performances. In association with the Royal Institution, the Institute for Contemporary Arts and the Arts Council we will be staging forums and discussions on altered states of mind, the physical world and our perceptions of it and the big questions – on consciousness and creativity. Each day will end with a relaxed sessions over a drink where you can put your questions to guest speakers and artists.
We are at the beginning of a revolution in the way we see and define ourselves as human beings, comparable to the Copernican and Darwinian revolutions of the past. Our Festival is, we believe, the first major attempt to present this emerging knowledge to the public in an exciting and accessible way.
4 March: 6.30pm:
Free Pre Festival event at INTECH (01962 863 791):
Dr Matt Cuttle: ‘Your Brain, and How to Use It!
A useful lecture for those sitting exams or for people who canÕt remember names at dinner parties.
Friday 5 March
The Art of Illusion
Fooling the brain
at The Theatre Royal Winchester.
2 – 4pm Dr. Matt Cuttle: Brain Science for Schools
7pm Garry Kennard (Festival Director): Welcome
7.15-8.15 Professor V S Ramachandran: Keynote talk
Professor of psychology and neuroscience, University of California. BBC Reith Lecturer, 2003, he is the author of ‘The Emerging Mind’ and ‘Phantoms in the Brain’.
8.30-9.15 Professor Richard Wiseman:
The Psychology of Magic and Illusion
Professor Wiseman explores the psychology and science of illusion. Come along and discover why seeing isn’t always believing.
at Savannah (seating for 80 only)
9.30 The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) Cafe Scientifique present:
Professor Daniel Lloyd ‘Radiant Cool’
A neuro-noir journey to the centre of the mind
Neurophilosopher Daniel Lloyd discusses his new theory of consciousness, recently published in the form of a novel.
Chair: Dr. Daniel Glaser, First ICA scientist in residence, neuroscientist, UCL.
Saturday 6 March
Moving the Mind
How Art Produces its Effects
at Winchester Great Hall
10.00-11.00 Time to view Antony Gormley’s ‘Domain Field’
at The Theatre Royal Winchester.
11.15-12.00. Antony Gormley: Re-imagining the Body Sculptor of ‘The Angel of the North’ Antony Gormley talks about ‘Domain Field’
12.15-1.00 Professor Guy Claxton: The Aesthetical Brain:
How Minds Create and Absorb Art
This illustrated talk explains what reverie is, how it refreshes the mind and why we need more of it.
2.00-3.30 ‘Choreography and Cognition’
A pilot collaborative study into mind and movement presented by choreographer Wayne McGregor, psychologists Dr Rosaleen McCarthy and Professor Alan Wing with dancers from Random Dance, company-in-residence at Sadler’s Wells.
4.00-5.30 Art – Why Does the Brain Bother?
Panel discussion with Professor V S Ramachandran, Professor Richard Gregory, Antony Gormley and Marina Wallace
Chair: Rita Carter, author of Mapping the Mind
at Savannah (seating for 80 only)
7.00-8.15 The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) Cafe Scientifique present:
A S Byatt: Body, Soul, Mind and the Wet Stuff
How Changing Scientific Ideas of Personality Affect the Form of the Novel
The novelist and critic discusses how contemporary science informs our notion of character.
Chair: Dr. Daniel Glaser, neuroscientist, UCL.
at Savannah (seating for 80 only)
9.00 ‘Pick Your Brains’
Timandra Harkness and Dr. Helen Pilcher of The Comedy Research Project turn their unique comedy microscope to the human brain. They aim to prove scientifically that science can be funny.
Sunday 7 March
Art and Ecstasy
Opening the Doors of Perception
At The Theatre Royal Winchester.
11.00-11.45 Dr. Paul Broks: The Lady Vanishes:
Stories of the Self in Science and Art
Paul Broks ‘Into the Silent Land’, was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award.
Chair: Dr. Daniel Glaser, neuroscientist, UCL
12.00-1.00 Dr. Lauren Stewart:
Music of the Hemispheres:
Becoming a pianist changes the brain
This talk will discuss how the brain perceives, produces and responds to music.
1.00-1.30 Robert Carter:
Out of the Air
Improvised piano music.
2.30-3.30 Dr. Mark Lythgoe
Thinking with the Right side of the Brain:
Do artists do it differently?
Find out whether you were born to be an artist Ð Interactive!
Dr. Lythgoe is an imaging neuroscientist, Biopphysics, UCL
4.00-6.00 In Association with Arts Council England:
Science and the Arts: the Emergence of a New Consciousness from the 60’s to Now
Brian Eno, artist and musician; Gustav Metzger, artist engaged in critical response to world issues; Professor Roy Ascott, University of Plymouth and Professor Magaret Boden., University of Sussex,
Chair: Philip Dodd, Director, ICA, London.
at Savannah (seating for 80 only)
7.30-8.30 Chill Out
Join us over a drink with Dr Daniel Glaser and the Festival Directors. Ask the questions you missed. Tell us what you thought. Let us know what you’d like to see at next year’s Festival of Art and the Mind.