We want to raise awareness of Motor Neurone Disease using interdisciplinary performance to bring ground-breaking research to new audiences.
'Thought to Flesh' is an interdispciplinary performance by Birds of Passage. As a small theatre company with big aims, we work to create hair-raising shows that place under-represented issues in the spot light.
Our first show aims to bring to light new research on Motor Neurone Disease (MND) from The Institute of Neurology, University College London (UCL).
Through working closely with researchers, sufferers and carers we have come to understand MND is a cruel illness. Sufferers experience progressive muscle wasting as neural messages fail to travel from 'thought to flesh'. This results in total loss of muscle function and eventually things we take for granted such as swallowing, talking and even breathing, become the job of machines.
It is impossible to predict how long after diagnosis an indivudual patient with MND may continue to live. It can be weeks, years or months depending on the disease's rate of progression. In all cases, life becomes extremely challenging for the person with MND as well as those who love and care for them.
People living with MND are some of the bravest among us. Along our journey we met Sarah Ezekiel who became the inspiration behind our narative. Sarah was diagnosed in 2000 and has since devoted her life to raising awareness of MND despite battling depression, divorce and increasing loss of muscular control.
Our show is set to premiere at Vault Festival on 22nd of February but to get us there we need your help!
We need money for rehearsal space and materials (set/costumes/marketing). Any surplus will be donated to further support MND research in the UK.
All being well this show will reach 360 people at Vault Festival alone and once it is complete can be toured nationally. We have plans to take the show into venues across the UK including schools and colleges. Through performance we will provide this neglected community with a voice in society.
Approximately 5,000 people have this devastating illness in the UK and 5 people die from it every day.
More information about the performance and tickets can be found here:
http://www.vaultfestival.com/event/thought-to-flesh/2017-02-22/
This project closed unsuccessfully on 20th February 2017