JPT at Falling Walls Engage - Berlin

2018 has closed with a very prestigious event for Jet propulsion Theatre. We had the opportunity to present the project in front of a very varied and engaging audience at the Falling Walls Engage event in Berlin, on November 8 2018. Following that event, we participated to the Falling Walls Conference, on November 9 and 10.
These 3 days have been fully packed with events, meetings, workshops, networking events (the famed Braindates!).
All in all a very exciting event that can only bring good things to our budding project.

JPT was at the Conference in 2018!

Bringing Research into the Classroom - SPNE14 in Athens

JPT's work aims at bringing out the Human Side of Science, and it does so through a series of actions like theatre productions, workshops, conferences, communications. We believe that it is of fundamental importance to connect people with the world of science and most importantly with scientists and researchers.

That is why we welcomed very warmly the opportunity to co-organize and co-conduct the SPNE14 to be held in Athens on September 5th 2018: "Research into the classroom". Here's a link to the event.

SPNEs are Networking Event organized by the EU Project Scientix, coordinated by the European Schoolnet.

The event will be devoted to understanding not only how to bring research and schools / students together, but also what are the stereotypes that plague the image that (young) people have of scientists and researchers? Why do they arise? How to dispel them?
We look forward to the conversations, round tables and results.

We'd like to thank the European Schoolnet and Scientix for inviting us.

The organizers of SPNE14

PERFORM Project wraps up with a Conference

Over the past 12 months we have had the pleasure to interact with PERFORM (Participatory Engagement with Scientific and Technological Research through Performance) a project financed by the EU that "...aims to investigate the effects of the use of innovative science education methods based on performing arts in fostering young peoples’ motivations and engagement with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)...". Here's a link to their web site.

Right away realized that the ideas behind PERFORM are really what we are about with Project Jet Propulsion Theatre so it became natural trying to interact with them.

It all happened on June 14 and 15 2018 when we had the pleasure to participate to the closing conference in Paris, summing up the work that had been done till then. We even had the opportunity to do a poster session where we introduced JPT to the participants.

All in all we came away from the conference with the very positive feeling that the field of Science Communication through Theatre and Performance is alive and well. Lots can still be done but it has amazing potential for growth. We are looking forward continuing collaborations with the partners of PERFORM, creating networks and pushing forward the idea that Art&Science is really the way of the future.

Brunello at the PERFORM Poster Session

Summer Scriptwriting Base in Bulgaria - July 2018

For those interested in "Storytelling for the Digital Age" there is a very exciting opportunity to get your hands and feet wet... the Summer Script Writing Base organized by Arte Urbana Collectif of Sofia (Bulgaria) and directed by Dimitar Uzunov will be devoted to our very own Digital Village.

From July 18th through the 28th in Sofia and in Bozhentsi (Bulgaria) several communication and arts professionals will share their expertise participants students and young professionals from all around Europe and beyond: screenwriters, playwrights, storytellers, journalists, science communicators, bloggers, content creators for creative industries, and all other people who write.

JPT's Andrea Brunello will conduct a 4 day workshop ""How to create an exciting story taking inspiration from Science".

For those interested, enrolment is still open, 'till early may. (-> Info)

Summer Scriptwriting Base Logo!

Heading to Sofia Science Festival 2018

Jet Propulsion Theatre will be part of the 2018 edition of the Sofia Science Festival!

This will be a great opportunity for our project to showcase both its productions and also present a new work. As a matter of fact JPT will be involved in two events:

On May 11th @ 16.30 there will be a staging of Il Principio dell'Incertezza "Unplugged" in Italian with Bulgarian subtitles. This event is made possible by a grant of the Italian Institute of Culture of Sofia. (-> info)

On May 13th @ 11.00 we will present the Augmented Lecture / Performance The Long Way To the Stars. This show is a joint project carried out by JPT with Forum Democrit and Arte Urbana Collectif. JPT's Andrea Brunello will direct Sofia University's astrophysicist Vladimir Bozhilov and actor Dimitar Uzunov. The project is funded by the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the “Cultural Programme for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2018”. (-> info)

The Sofia Science Festival Eye!

I Love Science Festival @ BOZAR - The Principle of Uncertainty

Well, after Rwanda we are now heading to Brussels, Belgium where we'll be part of the I Love Science Festival at BOZAR, the most important Cultural Center of the city.

The Principle of Uncertainty "Unplugged" will be staged on Saturday April 28th at 20.30 and Sunday April 29th at 14.00. It is a great opportunity for us to showcase our work at a very exciting event filled with great speakers and performances, workshops, Virtual Reality tours, Music, Installations, Performance Lectures... and much more.

We read in the description of the Festival...

During the ‘I Love Science’ festival BOZAR devotes three whole days to an investigation into the links between art and science, some very real, others purely hypothetical. Through a series of exhibitions, workshops, lectures, debates, experimental walks and musical performances the festival looks at the fames and failures of scientists, artists and theatre makers. Explore the notion of Time at a performance-reading, or delve into the virtual reality in the BOZAR LAB. Sign up for a talk on artificial intelligence or take an immersive trip through pop-up smells and sounds of the city. The BOZAR When Art Meets Science Festival is all about experience + experimentation + connection!

JPT Project Reviews

Over time we have had several more "generic" reviews and articles regarding the JPT project. Here we list some of the more interesting ones...

Teatro e Critica - interview to Andrea Brunello
Dramma.it - interview to Andrea Brunello
Gli Stati Generali - by Andrea Porcheddu
Doppiozero - by Enrico Piergiacomi
IlBoLive - video interview of Andrea Brunello by Silvia Bencivelli

JPT lands in Rwanda - Next Einstein Forum 2018

This time we go to Africa! The occasion is the Next Einstein Forum 2018 to be held in Kigali in Rwanda on March 26, 27 and 28, 2018. The Next Einstein Forum (NEF) is an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in collaboration with Robert Bosch Stiftung. The NEF is a platform that aims to connect science, society and politics in Africa and the rest of the world, with the aim of exploiting science for human development on a global level.

The fundamental idea of ​​the project is that Africa can be an active member of the global scientific community to contribute to global progress. Central to the NEF's efforts are young Africans, the driving force behind the scientific renaissance of Africa.

After seeing the show in Brussels (Belgium), the organizers of the NEF have selected The Principle of Uncertainty as an example of theater that can also tell the wonders of science and its mechanisms and consequently offer an important stimulus to interpret life and contemporaneity.

The show will be staged on March 27 and 28, 2018 (more than 1300 delegates from all over the world are expected). Other performances of the play, in its "light" version, have been organized in several schools in rural Rwanda.

In order to present the show we have posted an article on the Blog page of the NEF2018 web site: HOW CAN THEATRE SPARK THE LOVE FOR SCIENCE? 

In it it is possible to find much of the philosophy that motivates the JPT Project.

NEF Global Gathering 2018

Le Principe de l’Incertitude premiers at the University of Namur

Le Principe d'Incertitude, the french version of The principle of Uncertainty, will be staged on March 23rd 2018 at the Printemps des Sciences, a science popularisation week organised by the science faculties of 5 universities in the Wallonia Brussels Federation (UCL, ULB, UNamur, UMons and UniLiège), united in the network known as sciences.be.

It is a very exciting news for us, because it is the very first time that a JPT play is staged in a language that is not English or Italian. The idea is to setup, in time, a JPT Belgium Hub. The translation of the text has been done by Pierre Echard, the actor Vincent Vanderbeeken will be on stage. The directing is by Andrea Brunello.

As is the custom with JPT performances, in order to highlight the scientific content of the play, this show will be followed by a debate with the audience, which will be moderated by Dr. Luc Henrard, professor in the Physics Department, and an assistant professor in the Quantum Mechanics course, Mathilde Remy.

This performance has been actively promoted by the University of Namur's Confluent des Savoirs, by the engaged professors who will animate the debate, by the Compagnia Arditodesìo via its Belgium mailing list and social networks, as well as by Pierre Echard, in charge of JPT's international development, and based in Brussels.

Among the key target audiences are the schools, theatres, cultural centres and other organisations which will be the future be the hosts of JPT productions in the Wallonia Brussels Federation.

The performance has been made possible in part by a generous grant by the King Baudouin Foundation.

Here is the info regarding the event!

Vincent Vanderbeeken

Teatro della Meraviglia - Theatre of Wonder Festival 2018

For the second year in a row the Arditodesìo Theatre Company | Jet Propulsion Theatre has collaborated in the the organization of the Teatro della Meraviglia Festival (#MeravigliaTeatroFestival). At the heart of the Festival is the idea that science and theatre can meet and in fact they should do so in trying to bring high quality theatre performances to the stage, where the themes are drawn from scientific issues.

The result was extremely exciting: 9 full days of shows, 1700 people attending, many high school and university students and lots of creative energy have characteized the events. More than 30 young volunteers have helped run the events as smoothly as possible. All in all this second edition of the Festival has been a success and we are already looking forward to the all brand new 2019 edition...

For info regarding the 2018 Festival click here.

WE, ROBOTS reviews

We, Robots is a JPT production that premired in Milan - Italy in January 2018 (at PACTA . dei Teatri). It is the fourth production and maybe the one that strays more from a purely scientific background to move towards a more phylosophical terrain. The bottom line is: can love exist between a human being a highly intelligent machine?
The play has generated interest in all kinds of fields and situations: from the general theatre environment to the science festivals and museums.

Here are some reviews.

Tuttascena - Radio interview
Milano Teatri
Rumorscena
Traiettorie
Sanbaradio

NOI, ROBOT debutta a PACTA - 18, 19 e 20 Gennaio

Ci siamo, ecco che il nostro nuovo lavoro sta per andare in scena definitivamente. Dopo tanto lavoro siamo orgogliosi di confermare che il 18 19 e 20 Gennaio 2018 NOI, ROBOT sarà a PACTA dei Teatri, Salone di Via Dini a Milano per il Festival ScienzaInScena Atto 1!

In pieno stile Jet Propulsion Theatre, lo spettacolo è pensato per un pubblico "generico" e quindi non per gli addetti ai lavori, che comunque troveranno molti spunti interessanti. Lo spettacolo vuole generare curiosità e meraviglia attorno a quello che il fisico dell'M.I.T. Max Tegmark definisce "la più importante conversazione del nostro tempo", cioè la possibilità che esseri umani e macchine si uniscano per dare inizio a quella che viene definita la VITA 3.0.

Cosa vuol dire essere umano nell’era delle Macchine Pensanti?
NOI, ROBOT prova che la relazione fra due “individui”, uno umano e l’altro macchina, non è affatto semplice e può portare a dei paradossi insormontabili. Lo spettacolo esplora anche il cervello umano, e allo stesso tempo vuole capire dove sta andando il campo dell’Intelligenza Artificiale. NOI, ROBOT fa infine riferimento all’altro “cervello collettivo” che ci comprende, l’Universo, visto come un sistema complesso per molti versi simile al cervello umano, a partire dal fatto molto curioso che ci sono circa 100 miliardi di neuroni nel cervello umano e circa 100 miliardi di galassie nell’Universo che riusciamo ad osservare!