A Scottish charitable organisation promoting health improvement, citizenship and environmental issues through the medium of the performing arts.
About Live Wire Productions
Award winning, Live Wire Productions, as an ensemble Science Theatre in
Education company, was founded in 1994 and is a unique resource for schools,
the community and organisations seeking to improve an understanding of basic
scientific principals as a prerequisite to change in attitudes through drama.
All thirty six commissioned productions produced by the company to date cover
a wide range of subjects where each performance is customised to the group,
audience, class etc ensuring that the optimum impact is achieved and that the
key messages relevant to the needs of those in attendance are delivered. In
total, the issue-based programmes have been performed to over 100,000, mainly
in schools throughout Scotland and occasionally on tour in England. In 2004
alone the programmes reached over 15,000.
The underlying purpose of each programme is to stimulate and impact on our
young audiences, to develop individual thinking about improving their
knowledge of basic scientific principles, to enhance a lifelong enthusiasm
about health improvement, environmental issues and finally their attitude to
good citizenship.
The company has for 10 years used props as metaphors for communicating science
eg brocolli (bronchus and bronchiolae - 'Who says I'm a Windbag'); a crunchie
(cross section of a femor to demonstrate osteoporosis 'Ooh my Back Hurts!');
fashion show including covered hot air venting tube (colon - 'Where did my
Dinner Go?') sponge (liver damage - 'Snow Ice and the Seven Shorts' an
allegoric play)
The company has also produced three annual, professional full cast venue based
pantomimes reaching 7,000 school children per annum in the northeast.
An experienced team of fully trained actors, teachers, facilitators and
presenters use the full range of the dramatic arts in conjunction with
original and captivating scripts researched, written and produced in
consultation with professionals from the public, private and voluntary sector.
In 2005 their drugs programme developed in collaboration with Grampian Police
was funded by Scotland Against Drugs to produce a musical 'Kids on Stage'
publication called 'Hooked' for all 3000 schools in Scotland in 2006.
Other ongoing collaborations and partnerships include Grampian Health Board
('Uncomfortable Shoes' - young carers), Aberdeen City Council Drug Initiative
programme ('Kristy's Comments and the Drug Wheel of Science), Crimestoppers
Scotland ('It's Your Call and Crimestoppers Wheel of Science'), the Rowett
Institute ('Rational Food', Eating Smart and John Boyd Orr).
The organisation bases its work on Theatre in Education, to stimulate the
participants to analyse controversial issues and to develop their own
viewpoints through theatre games and activities, fully aware that much of the
learning takes place during the follow-up discussions where questions and
issues raised in a play are analysed and challenged. As an art form, it
integrates drama activities into education, which not only refers to the
acquisition of knowledge, but also to the process of "empowerment", where
drama activities are a catalyst for learning, capable of assimilating creative
activities into study.
Vanessa Chew
Company Founder and MD