Ceilidh in the Brain: Science Ceilidh Resources & Tour (360G-Wellcome-204110_Z_16_Z)

Exploring the neuroscience behind music, Ceilidh on the Brain will engage new communities around Scotland using the culturally-meaningful context of traditional Scottish dance. Collaborating with Edinburgh Neuroscience & the MRC CRM, this builds on the current Science Ceilidh work to ensure audience-led, sustainable engagement through two streams. Firstly, we’ll develop high-quality resources that "open-source" our biomedically-themed dances. Designed for both previously engaged and new online audiences, the aim will be to deepen and broaden our engagement, respectively. This will include dance videos, explanations of the science/process behind them with researchers, "DIY" packs with the steps and opportunities to feedback ideas/questions. There'll be a particular focus on empowering teachers through lesson plans, curriculum-integrations, follow-up activities and the eventual development of training sessions to promote confidence in using an active, cross-curricular approach more widely in their teaching. Secondly, we’ll go out to the communities to engage with school, community groups and public audiences through workshops, talks and events. Along with six self-funded tours across Scotland using the resources and content, this project will specifically fund three tours of more remote regions (Orkney, Shetland and Outer Hebrides) trialing a more community-led, multi-audience intensive approach to engage with rural communities with biomedical sciences.