Seeking Perfection?

Enhancing brain, body and beauty

Nowgen, in partnership with the Manchester Science Festival, Contact Theatre and The University of Manchester, ran a creative project on human enhancement. The project brought together a vibrant team of young people, scientists, ethicists and artists to explore scientific enhancement, such as physical, genetic and cognitive improvements.

We organised a series of workshops during October 2010 to engage university students and young people from local Manchester communities. During these workshops renowned ethicists, scientists and sports people were invited to share their expertise on enhancement. The young people then explored their reactions to the research and their views on enhancement research. The workshops included discussion on: boosting athletic performance through ‘gene doping’, taking stimulant drugs to improve memory and using plastic surgery to conform to society’s expectations.

Following the workshops, the young people developed a series of artistic performances, incorporating dance, drama and music. Their performances were showcased at public venues during Manchester Science Festival 2010. This included performing at the Manchester Arndale Centre, which engaged an audience who would not usually attend Science Festival events.

We also organised a public dialogue event on 26 October 2010 at Zion Arts Centre, Hulme, which allowed people to explore the topic in greater depth. This event was a great success, with a combination of thought-provoking presentations from four expert speakers and the entertaining performances from the young people.

This project was funded by The Wellcome Trust and we thank them for their support.