Even 150 years after the publication of On the Origin of Species Darwin’s theories have lost little of their explosive force and contemporary resonance. Marking his bicentennial Opera North, Film and Video Umbrella and Shropshire Council present this extraordinary triple bill bringing groundbreaking filmmakers, composers, writers and thinkers together to revisit Darwin and his legacy.

In Praise of Darwin’s Mistakes
The best way to honour a scientist is to criticise him. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is drawn into a religious/theological debate where it does not belong. In this lecture, award winning biologist and media theorist, Arjen Mulder, contests Darwin’s theory of evolution, revealing the limits and traps of evolutionary theory and why it will always be drawn into the religious context it tries to escape.

Marcus Coates Follow the Voice
In a playful echo of Darwin’s ‘The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals’, Marcus Coates’ new film work, Follow the Voice establishes striking parallels between a range of familiar man-made sounds and an equally evocative chorus of animal cries and calls. Follow the Voice captures the heightened feeling of interconnectedness at the heart of Darwin’s view of the world, and reminds us of the spirit of curiosity and discovery that infuses his ideas.

Follow the Voice is commissioned by Film and Video Umbrella with Shropshire Museums Services and funded by Arts Council England.

The Weather Man
The friendship between Robert FitzRoy and Charles Darwin blossomed during five years together on the Beagle. But as Darwin developed his theory of theory of natural selection, FitzRoy became an ardent creationist, and the two friends found themselves divided by the 19th Century’s greatest intellectual faultline. This fascinating new chamber opera by composer Paul Clark and librettist John Binias explores the opposition between science and spirituality through spoken voice, baritone, and string quartet.

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury Saturday 11th July
www.theatresevern.co.uk
 

The Sage, Gateshead Wednesday 15th July
www.thesagegateshead.org
 

Howard Assembly Room, Leeds Friday 17, Saturday 18 July

Tète à Tète Festival, Riverside Studios, London Thursday 30th and Friday 31st July
www.tete-a-tete.org.uk