Mechanics of Life: Movement, Mobility and Me Mechanics of Life: Movement, Mobility and Me
BACKGROUND
PROJECT INFO
The Mechanics of Life is an ingenious collaboration that brings together engineers at the University of Leeds and internationally renowned creatives at Northern Ballet to engage a diverse audience with the mechanics of movement through inspirational dance.
Our bodies are awesome machines. Through the extremes of motion that dancers have been trained to demonstrate, we will create engaging and interactive visualisations of biomechanics and micro- to macro-level changes in our bodies to inspire understanding of medical engineering and its impact on health and wellbeing in society.
Year
2023-2024
Collaborators
Northern Ballet
University of Leeds
University of Sheffield
Funder
Royal Academy of Engineering
DEVELOPING CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT
Early-career engineers will be supported to build their creative confidence through a programme of workshops and activities to develop skills in design thinking, visual storytelling, and practise engagement approaches across arts and science. This will build capacity for continuation of the design and delivery of creative and interdisciplinary public engagement activities for the longer term.
The project will culminate in an experience day for high school students from an underserved community to creatively engage in engineering. During the one-day event, students, engineers, and artists will work together to co-design an engineering-inspired performance. Through choreography and digital capture in film, we will create opportunities for a wider audience to be inspired by engineering and dance.
Through this unique collaboration, the project seeks to create lasting relationships across arts, science, and engineering.
OUR TEAM
- Dr Briony Thomas, Project Lead
- Prof Sophie Williams, Medical Engineering Lead
- Thomas Irish, Postgraduate Intern
- Kenneth Tindall, Co-Investigator, Choreography and Creative Direction
- Leanne Kirkham, Co-Investigator, Creative Engagement Lead
- Emily Nuttall, Creative Producer
- Prof Claire Brockett, Public Engagement Mentor
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This work is supported by a Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious Award.