Disseminating Science through Theatre

The project “Outreach through Theatre: Barbara McClintock, Life and Science” is a project funded by FECYT (FCT-22-17955) awarded to CRAG, IRTA, and the Higher School of Dramatic Arts (ESAD) in Córdoba, led by Ana Montserrat Martín-Hernández, IRTA researcher at CRAG. Its main goal is to use the performing arts for outreach and informal education, aiming to promote knowledge and interest in science and foster scientific vocations, with a special emphasis on young people.

The project involves creating a theatrical play based on the life of scientist Barbara McClintock, as well as developing educational materials to create a pedagogical kit that will be distributed to schools, community centers, amateur theater groups, etc., so that the play can be performed and reach a broader audience.

Pedagogical Kit

For anyone interested in this initiative, whether to stage the play with their students or to learn about the life of this scientist in a creative and engaging way, a pedagogical kit has been created, which you can download. It includes:

• The script in Catalan, Spanish and English
• A teaching guide with activities, interpretative challenges and staging suggestions
• A folder with supporting audiovisual resources such as photographs, videos and animations.

Ready to bring Barbara McClintock to life?

But who is Barbara McClintock?

This initiative, developed over the course of two years, was structured in several phases. The first phase was a dramatic writing workshop at CRAG, where ESAD students worked alongside scientists to create the text that would become the final play. The first public presentation of the text took place at Centre Cívic Vil·la Urània in Barcelona through a staged reading. Months later, a preview performance was held at the Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático in Córdoba, and the play finally premiered at Centre Cívic Vil·la Urània on Saturday, May 10.

1 - Dramatic Writing Workshops

The first Dramatic Writing Workshops for Scientific Outreach took place from November 13 to 17, 2023. These workshops combined scientific aspects with theatrical concepts, creating a strong connection between ESAD students, participating scientists, and the facilitators, Montse Martín (CRAG), Salvador García (ESAD), and Eduardo Chivite (ESAD). The outcome of these dramatic writing workshops was a collaborative text that would be performed in the final play.

You can watch a video about the first Dramatic Writing Workshops for Scientific Outreach here:

2 - Dramatized Reading "The Jumping Genes Revolution"

On the other hand, the first presentation of this text to the public took place at the Centre Cívic Vil·la Urània, in a dramatized reading in Barcelona on April 27, 2024. There, the initial interpretations of the text and the various characters involved in the scientist's life were showcased. The event also included a discussion and a questionnaire to gather impressions and receive feedback from the audience.

You can see a summary of this reading here:

3 - Premiere

Pre-premiere

The pre-premiere of the play took place on March 14th at the Higher School of Dramatic Arts of Córdoba, one of the project's collaborating entities.

Between rehearsal and rehearsal, the protagonists of the work shared their emotion for this premiere, you can see it here:

Premiere

After months of work and rehearsals, the play premiered on Saturday, May 10th at Centro Cívico Vil·la Urània in Barcelona. The inspiring story of this Nobel Prize winner, told in a play that explores genetics, music, and activism.

At this link, you can watch the full recording of the play.

4 - Pedagogical Kit

Once the play has been presented, this project is offered as a pedagogical kit, a resource containing various materials designed to facilitate learning and teaching about the play's themes. You can also contact the Associació Cultural Artistes Pedagogs, the organization that designed the teaching guide, for any related inquiries.

Additionally, there is the possibility that our researcher Ana Montserrat Martín-Hernández, who led the project and played the role of Barbara, can give a talk to your group or class. Therefore, we kindly ask that if you stage the play, you let us know by email.

A project by:

With the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology – Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities: