The Study Of Tears

The Study of Tears is a pioneering science and art research and education project exploring why we cry, led and designed by Susan Norwood, Artistic Director of Project Volume.

It was created for young people with learning disabilities, with funding from Eveson Charitable Trust and the Wellcome Trust, to stimulate the learning of science through dance, film and art.

Students from Selly Oak Trust School in Birmingham, were taken through a professional experience of being a filmmaker or a dancer; researching the theme of tears and exploring it creatively through drawing, choreography, discussion and video.

Susan Norwood worked with science teacher, Claire Treverton, from Selly Oak School, to deliver a science module on ‘crying’. The students received guidance and tuition from professional artists Riccardo Iacono, Vanessa Cook and Hayley Arundel and science advisers Dr. J.M. Tiffany and Dr. Rita Jordan.

Other participants in The Study of Tears included dancers and choreographers attending Project Volume's Summer Dance Intensive, at Dance Exchange.

The Study of Tears blog

Videos, photographs, drawings and writing produced through the project can be found on our recently launched blog at:

www.thestudyoftears.blogspot.com

Interactive Documentary

A web-based interactive documentary on The Study of Tears is also in production and scheduled for completion in January 2011. The documentary will incorporate a wide range of material from the project, including selected contributions to the blog.