Carnival of the Brain. (360G-Wellcome-106408_Z_14_Z)

Edinburgh International Science Festival plan to develop and deliver a brand new immersive workshop, Carnival of the Brain, to be staged in our flagship family venue, City Art Centre, in April 2015. Aimed at engaging children, families, and independent adults, this workshop is a celebratory exploration of the brain and the senses, created in partnership with the British Psychological Society. Carnival of the Brain will transform a section of City Art Centre into a journey through the brain, themed around a retro carnival setting. Audiences will step through a visually exciting entrance to the gateway of the mind, and follow carnival-style signposts that direct them to drop-in workshop activities that use traditional carnival activities to explore areas of the brain: e.g. the Frontal Lobe, Occipital Lobe, Peripheral Nervous System, Brainstem and the Big Brain Top. These will run alongside other activities, such as wall-based illusions and communicator-led challenges and puzzles. Set in a traditional fairground environment, this workshop will have a distinctive and playful atmosphere that appeals to audiences of all ages. We will use creative props, lighting and set-dressing to stage an immersive environment that provides a fresh approach to hands-on science. This workshop will be developed in close consultation with our scientific partners, to ensure that real-world applications of science and the role of psychology are incorporated into each activity, providing audi ences with a greater understanding of how their brains work, and the importance of research in this field.