The Kindness of Strangers. (360G-Wellcome-101359_Z_13_Z)

Every 15 seconds in the UK, someone dials 999. An elite team of professionals are trained to deal with a huge spectrum of human trauma. Paramedics provide a 24 hour service as the first point of contact for the NHS. The Kindness of Strangers is a celebration of their stories. In a unique theatrical experience, The Kindness of Strangers puts audience members in the position of paramedics on their first day on the job. Audience members will travel in the back of a moving ambulance around their city, making decisions about routes, methods of care and ultimately taking responsibility for a service which, in the present moment of austerity, is under threat. Collaborating with four scientific advisers and a dynamic team of theatre makers, The Kindness of Strangers will be an unforgettable experience for audiences, shining a light on a vital public service. The pilot 3 day version of the show is made in co-production with Norfolk & Norwich Festival in association with Norvic Ambulanc e Services. It will then tour for 5 week-long runs to five further festivals across the UK in 2013/14. The Kindness of Strangers will be made in collaboration with 4 members of the Norwich community and then adapted for future touring partners. In this way it is a unique blend of public engagement, mixing dynamic theatre making with practising scientists and members of specific communities with stories to tell about the British Ambulance Service.