‘Gaia – the Cabaret!’
“The Gaia cabaret is the most fun you can have with science. Peter Horton covers 14 billion years in the space of an hour and a half, and shows us that we humans take ourselves far too seriously: as far as Gaia is concerned, the bacteria are far more important than we are, and they are the ones having the last laugh!”
Prof Andrew Watson FRS Royal Society Research Professor
University of East Anglia
Originally commissioned for James Lovelock’s 90th birthday party in July 2009, ‘Gaia – the Cabaret!’ has since been performed in Norwich, Purbeck, Plymouth, Exeter, Bath, Bristol, Cheltenham and the Science Museum in London.
The cabaret is an interactive celebration of the scientific world view of Gaia Theory. With songs, sketches and surprises, it takes an entertaining and provocative look at how the dynamic systems of planet Earth work and evolve, and where we as a species really fit in.
The cabaret is suitable for:
• Science and Arts Festivals and Conferences
• students and teachers in further and higher education studying environmental or
sustainability issues
• groups or organisations with a direct involvement in developing local environment
initiatives, such as allotment associations and transition groups
“Peter Horton’s ‘Gaia -the Cabaret’ gives us easy access to complexity and systems theory and introduces a ‘Gaian vocabulary’, through which we are entertained, amused, involved and put in our place. The history of the universe is unlocked through the Cosmic Calendar. Our flatulence is translated into the laughter of bacteria, still evolving and dominating the planet after aeons of time. Considering microbes, the role of mitochondria, single celled organisms… strangely forces us to pose the question: How can we move towards a more viable way of being?”
Henry Liebling ESCalate ESD consultant http://esd.ecalate.ac.uk
The cabaret is suitable for acoustic venues, needs no special staging, and can be enjoyed by all ages from 12 yrs upwards. It can also be booked as a package with ‘The Gaia Eye Game’, a one day interactive workshop which examines, in more depth, the vital importance of the implications of the science of Gaia Theory for current environmental thinking.
Peter Horton’s work on ‘Gaia – the Cabaret’ and ‘The Gaia Eye Game’ has grown from the following experiences:
- 30 years working as a writer, musician and performer, a lecturer in Theatre Studies and Communication Skills, and a Theatre Workshop director in schools, colleges and the community
- 20 years researching and producing educational and performance material on the cultural implications of Gaia Theory, working closely with James Lovelock and other leading Gaia scientists
- spending the last 12 years as a family developing a 5 hectare site in south west France using permaculture design principles and exploring on a practical, day to day basis, what ‘living in a right relationship with Gaia’ might mean…this is on-going…
“Peter Horton’s lyrical, musical and interactive performance ‘Gaia – The Cabaret’ is not only a fun and fitting tribute to the scientific work of Professor James Lovelock, it is also a surreal journey through time from the very beginnings of life on our planet to our own arrival at the eleventh hour on the cosmic calendar. Viewers beware, Peter Horton is in danger of rousing your inner algae!”
Nick Breeze : Producer : ‘A Hitchhiker’s Guide To Gaia’ (Guide to Gaia Ltd)
for further information on:
‘Gaia – the Cabaret!’
and
‘The Gaia Eye Game’ Workshop
please contact : Gaia’s Company
gaiascompany@free.fr • tel: +33.5.62.59.01.83
Gaia – the Cabaret!
songs, sketches and surprises
an Interactive Entertainment inspired by the Science of Gaia Theory
…in all the media hype about climate change you rarely hear mentioned the science which first opened our eyes to what was happening on the planet…
so here is your chance to discover how the planet really works through the startling, strangely attractive world view of Gaia Theory,
a view which is at once both revolutionary and re-assuring!…
• hear the true story of how James Lovelock first glimpsed Gaia and why NASA wouldn’t believe him!…
• hold your breath as you delve into the murky microbial world uncovered by Lynn Margulis…
• make friends with the mighty mitochondria…
• thrill to the unexpected delights of the Human Circus…
• lose yourself in the self-organising wonder of the Do-Be-Do Chorus…
• find the answers to these mysterious questions: Who is Mr Gill? What is his secret? What is he trying to tell us?…
• follow the trail of the researchers who dared to ask: ‘Do bacteria have a voice?’ and, if so, ‘What could they possibly have to say?’…
…as Lynn Margulis puts it:
‘In the inherently expansive, subtle, aesthetic, ancient and exquisitely resilient world of Gaia, at least one thing is certain….once you have seen Gaia in all her symbiogenetic glory, you’ll never see yourself in the same way again!’
© Peter Horton 2010 gaiascompany@free.fr
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