Book this date in your diary ......

May 2nd 2009 at the Royal Concert Hall

With Science on Stage attracting more and more people of all ages, both to take part and to watch, the pressure for a bigger venue has been growing for some time. It is with some regret that we leave the Albert Hall, but needs must. The Royal Concert Hall certainly fits the bill, but it does represent a very major cost. We are delighted, therefore, to welcome aboard Nottinghamshire County Council as our major sponsors for 2009. Thanks to their generous support we are able to obtain this wonderful auditorium to put on very special event for all our performers and audience.

The new project is called ‘Albedo’. Not an everyday sort of word, in fact one with a very precise scientific meaning. Albedo is defined as a measurement of the percentage of sunlight reflected back into space from the different kinds of surface cover that exist on earth. It has to be measured from a satellite and is very important to the ice fields at the poles where the reflective qualities of ice (very high albedo) and water (very low albedo) are magnifying the greenhouse effect.

As the ice melts to expose open water, so the water is able to soak up much more heat than the ice could. In ‘Albedo’ the consequences of this are revealed through its initial effect on arctic life where top predators like the polar bear take the biggest hit through to the terrifying possibilities when the ocean currents stop and the sea begins to stagnate. All of this has happened before, millions of years ago, and the initial outcome was an almost dead planet. Ultimately a whole new pattern of life emerged, which led to ... us ....

... showing that even the planet can get it wrong sometimes Wimbledon College of Art are working with us to evolve the next alternative to life as we know it. This new piece will be accompanied by two major choral works, Dances of Time by Karl Jenkins and Zadok the Priest by Handel together with songs and science from the musical ‘Steel’ which was last performed in 2005 at Covent Garden.

We will, as always, be joined by a wide range of amateur and professional performers, choreography will appear in places where it is least expected as well as where it is eagerly anticipated, a great time will be had by all and, just perhaps, new perspectives will be opened up on a too familiar problem.

Events like this are very expensive and we are grateful to our many generous sponsors. In order to continue to fulfil our aim of putting high standard performance in high class settings at affordable prices, we are always looking for sponsorship. If you would like to become involved as a sponsor, or indeed in any other capacity, please make contact by using the contact details on the home page.