By Rhiannon Tise

Feb 26th -30th March 2007
United Kingdom Tour


Subsidised by the government funded Sciencewise and NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts)

Over one hundred years ago, Nobel prize chemist Svante Arrhenius predicted global warming as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution. Increased levels of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning, he speculated, would trap more of the sun's heat inside the Earth's atmosphere.

No one paid any serious attention to his claim.

Today, the scientists charged to assess the evidence for human-driven climate change (more popularly known as "global warming") consider the evidence to be convincing: climate change is no longer regarded as a hypothesis, but as reality.

2005 was the planet's warmest year on record. 1998, 2002, 2003, and 2004 were the next four in the running.

Dr. Brian Heath must decide whether to protect his family or publicize his alarming findings about the impending threat of climate change. His predicament stands for our own as individuals, and collectively. The Silencer presents confronting the truth about global warming as a matter of conscience, which we cannot undertake without the willingness to leave our comfort zone behind.

The Silencer is a new play by award winning playwright Rhiannon Tise  that explores, challenges and informs our perceptions of RISK, particularly in relation to the issue of CLIMATE CHANGE.

In addition to the play and debate/workshop, all participating schools will also be provided with

(1) a DVD based preparatory lesson produced by the ground-breaking Cape Farewell Art and Climate Change project

(2) a post-performance deliberative polling activity created by DEMOCS at the New Economics Foundation. The latter resource is part card game, part policy-making tool that enables small groups of students to engage with complex public policy issues.

The Silencer  is targeted at students at KS4 and above (Aged14+)

This project is designed as a teacher resource to support the achievement of attainment targets outlined in Key Stage 3, 4 & 5 in SCIENCE, Geography, English, PSHE/Citizenship, RS and Drama (please see the attached sheet for specific links to Key Stage 4). The project should prove to be a particularly valuable resource in view of the changes to the science curriculum at Key Stage 4.

	For further information about this project, email our Tour Producer David Jackson