Art and Mind, in association with the University of Winchester, present their 6th Winchester Festival
The art and science of birth and death
Friday 9 to Sunday 11 March 2007
supported by
Arts Council England
The University of Winchester
The Dana Foundation
Winchester City Council
Introduction by Garry Kennard, Director, Art and Mind
Perhaps the two most mysterious aspects of human existence are our entry into life and our leaving of it. What is happening at these profound events? How do we come into conscious life? What happens at the moment of our demise? How has art approached these themes and what light can science throw upon them?
Art and Mind presents Winchester with another spectacular Festival of science and art. This will be looking at what the brain sciences and art can tell us about our experience of being born and about our dying. Great scientists will be appearing alongside musicians and actors. By our usual rich mixture of performance, discussion and presentations will look deeply into these profound and compelling themes.
We have put together an amazing variety of presentations – arching from our opening concert with the great Malcolm Creese and Paul Hyland, to the final session featuring a full performance of Faure’s wonderful Requiem and including the amazing items in between.
I am particularly pleased to be able to include film this year with a screening of ‘Ivan’s XTC’. This tremendously powerful and moving film should not be missed.
We have a unique concert on the Sunday morning – for babies! Parents are also welcome. Violinist Chika Robertson and pianist Mikhail Kazakevich will lead this audience of small people on a magical journey, playing great music as they go.
We have a session produced by students at The Sholing Technology College. Several departments have been working on variations on our theme creating an extraordinary presentation of words, music and images.
Some of the inmates of HM Prison Winchester have also been working on the theme and have produced some stunning visual art some of which will be on show at the Theatre. The main exhibition will be at Portsmouth University. For details see opposite.
So – a remarkable weekend on a remarkable subject.
This is the programme –
Friday 9 March
PARADE! (free!) 6.30pm – 7.00pm
A New Orleans Funeral Jazz Band will parade from the Butter Cross, High Street, Winchester to the Theatre Royal – an extraordinary experience!
SESSION ONE 7.30pm – 9.30pm
Keynote speaker
Professor Bruce Hood
Human Essence and the Supernatural Sense
Childhood origins of adult object fetishism
An examination of the growth of ‘magical reasoning’.
Words and Music – birth and death
World class musician Malcolm Creese and his friends have worked with poet Paul Hyland and have put together a dramatic and moving compilation of poetry and great music which express and explore our themes of birth and death.
Saturday 10 March
SESSION TWO 11am – 12.45pm
A Beginning and an End?
Rita Carter
A look at the profound problem of how we decide when life begins and when it ends.
Life and Death in Religions Worldwide
Dr Christina Welch
A look at rituals of birth and death from many societies.
SESSION THREE 2pm – 5.00pm
The Sholing Technology College
A performance of the remarkable work the college has done on the theme of birth and death. Not to be missed.
Mexican Day of the Dead
Chloe Sayer
A world expert shares her knowledge of this amazing Mexican festival.
Near Death Experience – 1
Religion, Spirituality and Near-Death Experiences. Mark Fox
Near Death Experience – 2
Glimpses of the afterlife or visions of a dying brain? Professor Chris French
The psychology of paranormal beliefs and of ostensibly paranormal experiences.
SESSION FOUR 7.30pm – 10pm
The science and art of birth and death panel with Mick Gordon.
Director Mick Gordon of ‘On Theatre’ is joined by today’s speakers to discuss the how the science of birth and death is expressed in art and religion.
Extra event:
A showing of ‘Ivan’s XTC’ the great film by Bernard Rose. An extraordinarily powerful film based on Tolstoy’s ‘Death of Ivan Ilyich’, the story being transposed into modern Hollywood.
Sunday 11 March
SESSION FIVE 11.30am – 12.45pm – In the Milner Hall, St Peter’s Church, Jewry Street.
Sound Beginnings
A Concert for Babies – and parents!
Free entry for babies! (under three)
Dr Chika Robertson (violin),
Mikhail Kazakevich (piano)
A magical musical journey especially designed to support and enhance development and well-being in babies and young children. Numerous studies conclude that playing music to babies in the womb and in the early years helps build the neural bridges along which thoughts and information travel.
SESSION SIX 2.30pm – 5.00pm – In the United Church, Jewry Street
The Requiem and its meaning
Professor June Boyce-Tillman
Choir and Organ
A talk illustrated with live extracts of choral work followed by a full performance of
Faure’s Requiem
also showing
An Exhibition of Drawings by prisoners of Winchester Community Prison
ENTRANCES AND EXITS
Visual Art students from the Education department at the prison have produced some compelling images in response to this theme. Their work reveals ideas, feelings and concerns about what it is like going in and beyond, switching from past to present, or layering the mind with the past and the future. Many of the students have been newcomers to Art and they have successfully produced work that is both expressive and heartfelt.Examples of this work will be on show at the Theatre. The main exhibition however will be held at Portsmouth University.
Exhibition of Prisoner’s work
5 – 29 March 2007
Mon – Fri 10.00 – 16.00
Open evening Thurs 15 March 17.00 – 19.00
The Gallery
University of Portsmouth,
School of Art, Design and Media,
Eldon Building, Winston Church Hill Avenue,
Portsmouth PO1 2DJ