Adventures in aerial dance and physics: How we made Flying Atoms

Author: Amanda Griffkin – Powys Dance, Wales, United Kingdom

Driven by a desire to engage girls with physical sciences in Spring 2016 we made Flying Atoms, a performance for 7 to 11 year olds marrying aerial dance and physics. The show toured 20 primary schools in Powys, Wales and this year we are taking it to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, followed by a tour in England with partners including Imperial College London, St Mary’s University, University of Surrey, Science Oxford and Norwich Science Festival.

The show is multi-disciplinary in approach, combining dance, theatre, experiments, animation, stunning design and soundtrack. Having no background in science, how did we approach making the show? And how has it struck a cord with academic partners involved in the field of science communication?

St Mary’s University say, “The show is unique in its genre and is an excellent way to engage young students with the not always easy concepts of physics using a multi-disciplinary and original approach”. Powys Dance Director Amanda Griffkin will describe the company’s process and share learning around developing innovative arts projects with science themes.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Show, tell and talk
Theme: Stories
Area of interest: Investigating science communication practices