2024 Faculty - Sanjna Banerjee

Brief About the Session :

Neuroscience and health through theater

Stories are integral to our experience of the world. They are how we make sense of ourselves, others, society, nature, the universe, and time. Could one say that the reality we experience is itself a story, constructed by the brain, with the body as its stage and co-author? Who are the actors, and the crew? Who turns on the lights, and who makes the music? How does the brain write this story, carefully or chaotically? Perhaps carefully and chaotically?

The workshop will explore these fundamental questions of neuroscience through theater, a rich, expressive medium that enlists our minds, bodies, and surroundings to create something new and meaningful. As with our brains, stories in theater are layered, multidimensional, and shaped by the coming together of numerous little parts - each of which is a complex wonder in itself. Each day, we will delve into a different module of interacting with the world - movement, sensation, language, or social behavior, and understand how our brains try to make meaning out of these interactions, through attention, emotion, memory, and learning. Through different expressive art forms, we will encounter how each of these processes profoundly influence our health and wellbeing.

Through interactive discussions and immersive improvisational methods, participants will learn how the brain processes and interprets different stimuli, influencing our perception, behavior, and health. The workshop will invite them to think creatively and critically about the complex interplay between the mind, body, and the environment. As a finale, they will collaborate to create small theatrical pieces that speak to their experience, showcasing the synthesis of science and art in action. Hope to have you with us on this journey!

Career :