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Saving our bacon: the new animal farm
. DISSECTING ROOM
DISSECTING ROOM Saving our bacon: the new animal farm This effective didactic approach helps them to develop opinion in an open debate, uninfluenced by media indoctrination or dogmatic views. Individuals are presented with all the options, and more than enough igs have sacrificed much to the loves football, Gemma is a passionate information to aid their decision; with human race; they supply us with animal-rights activist. Unknown to the twofold aim of preparation and sausages and bacon, and donate them both, their physician Dr Mayhew follow-up, a 150-page teacher’s pack is their heart valves to replace our own. is on the payroll of a pharmaceutical made available to each school. Now they are at the ethical centre of a company involved in research into For many years, theatre groups and new play touring UK schools and xenotransplantation and has her sights educationalists have collaborated to colleges, which debates the issues set on Ryan as the first human educate and inform students through surrounding organ donation. Fig in the guineapig. Ryan’s mother, Sally, the medium of drama. Theatre-inMiddle, written by Judy Upton, is represents the rational but emotionally education productions have toured performed by Y Touring Company, the invoked relative torn between the schools, successfully bringing social national theatre company of the various issues: the risk to her son’s themes to the debating forum. Central YMCA. This is the third in a health, informed consent, Ryan’s Essential, especially when there has series of plays centred around medical autonomy, and the sense she seems to been a danger of dismissing children ethics, which sets out to explore see in Gemma’s arguments. and adolescents as too intellectually science through the arts. The The plot unfolds, as does the immature to consider these sensitive production is concerned with comprehensive exploration of each issues. However, they are well able to xenotra~plan~tion,s p ~ ~ c ~thel y point of view. The play ends, and the enter into a moral debate, often with transplantation of kidneys from theatre is transformed into a daytime intuition and sensitivity. Young people genetically engineered pigs into human TV chat show, complete with designerare an opinionated section of society, beings. Promoting public clad compere. Gemma, Ryan, Dr ardent in their views about issues such understanding and informed debate Mayhew, and Sally return to the stage as animal rights. Therefore a suitable among young people are the key aims remaining in character to debate with forum that encourages freedom of of the company, and to establish a speech and sets out to represent the the audience who address their factual framework for the dramatic facts as clearly and honestly as possible questions to the fictional characters. presentation, the project has been is both desirable and completed in collaboration with productive. the Nuffield Council on Kausa Ragaputra (c 1700) An audience of children and Bioethics. young adults, seems the ideal Fig in the Middle sets out to one in which to start. Perhaps raise awareness, not only of the the earlier we encourage our need for more organ donors, children to consider ethical but also of the complexities and matters, the more rounded elitism that pervades the world and informed the views of of scientific research. The future society will be. How we notion of xenotransplantation is reach a personal conclusion often incomprehensible to the about these issues is complex, lay population, but it is an issue and requires the ability to that touches us all in some way think objectively rather than if not on religious or cultural subjectively, to evaluate grounds, then as those who critically any “acquired views” object to the breeding of that we may have, or to refuse animals for the purpose of to succumb to the powerful preserving human life. In persuasions of the media. addition, the project tackles Projects such as Fig in the economic factors. ~ n y Midde can teach the skills individuals may have objections This opaque watercolour on paper is one of the of rationalisation in an to an expensive treatment such 140 Islamic and Indian paintings and drawings accessible form and can give as xenotransplantation. that are currently on show at the British Museum, valuable insight into the real Fig in the Middle presents the London, LJK. Ranging from early 14th century in world. audience with four characters, Mongol Iran to the early 20th centruy in each representing a particular Nathadwa~,India, the works in the e ~ i b i t i o n Jane de ~ u f g b view-each an embodiment of a include Iranian, Mughal, and Ottoman paintings. 8-9 Long Acre, sentiment. Ryan and Gemma Princes, Poets and Paladins ends on April 13, 1998. London WC2E QLH, UK are teenagers on dialysis; Ryan Pig in the middle A UK national touring play Wrimn by Judy Upton, directed by Nigel Town, designed by Annabel Lee. Teephone +44 (0) 171 272 5755 for details.
P
THE LANCET *Vol351 March 28,1998
993
DISSECTING ROOM Saving our bacon: the new animal farm This effective didactic approach helps them to develop opinion in an open debate, uninfluenced by media indoctrination or dogmatic views. Individuals are presented with all the options, and more than enough igs have sacrificed much to the loves football, Gemma is a passionate information to aid their decision; with human race; they supply us with animal-rights activist. Unknown to the twofold aim of preparation and sausages and bacon, and donate them both, their physician Dr Mayhew follow-up, a 150-page teacher’s pack is their heart valves to replace our own. is on the payroll of a pharmaceutical made available to each school. Now they are at the ethical centre of a company involved in research into For many years, theatre groups and new play touring UK schools and xenotransplantation and has her sights educationalists have collaborated to colleges, which debates the issues set on Ryan as the first human educate and inform students through surrounding organ donation. Fig in the guineapig. Ryan’s mother, Sally, the medium of drama. Theatre-inMiddle, written by Judy Upton, is represents the rational but emotionally education productions have toured performed by Y Touring Company, the invoked relative torn between the schools, successfully bringing social national theatre company of the various issues: the risk to her son’s themes to the debating forum. Central YMCA. This is the third in a health, informed consent, Ryan’s Essential, especially when there has series of plays centred around medical autonomy, and the sense she seems to been a danger of dismissing children ethics, which sets out to explore see in Gemma’s arguments. and adolescents as too intellectually science through the arts. The The plot unfolds, as does the immature to consider these sensitive production is concerned with comprehensive exploration of each issues. However, they are well able to xenotra~plan~tion,s p ~ ~ c ~thel y point of view. The play ends, and the enter into a moral debate, often with transplantation of kidneys from theatre is transformed into a daytime intuition and sensitivity. Young people genetically engineered pigs into human TV chat show, complete with designerare an opinionated section of society, beings. Promoting public clad compere. Gemma, Ryan, Dr ardent in their views about issues such understanding and informed debate Mayhew, and Sally return to the stage as animal rights. Therefore a suitable among young people are the key aims remaining in character to debate with forum that encourages freedom of of the company, and to establish a speech and sets out to represent the the audience who address their factual framework for the dramatic facts as clearly and honestly as possible questions to the fictional characters. presentation, the project has been is both desirable and completed in collaboration with productive. the Nuffield Council on Kausa Ragaputra (c 1700) An audience of children and Bioethics. young adults, seems the ideal Fig in the Middle sets out to one in which to start. Perhaps raise awareness, not only of the the earlier we encourage our need for more organ donors, children to consider ethical but also of the complexities and matters, the more rounded elitism that pervades the world and informed the views of of scientific research. The future society will be. How we notion of xenotransplantation is reach a personal conclusion often incomprehensible to the about these issues is complex, lay population, but it is an issue and requires the ability to that touches us all in some way think objectively rather than if not on religious or cultural subjectively, to evaluate grounds, then as those who critically any “acquired views” object to the breeding of that we may have, or to refuse animals for the purpose of to succumb to the powerful preserving human life. In persuasions of the media. addition, the project tackles Projects such as Fig in the economic factors. ~ n y Midde can teach the skills individuals may have objections This opaque watercolour on paper is one of the of rationalisation in an to an expensive treatment such 140 Islamic and Indian paintings and drawings accessible form and can give as xenotransplantation. that are currently on show at the British Museum, valuable insight into the real Fig in the Middle presents the London, LJK. Ranging from early 14th century in world. audience with four characters, Mongol Iran to the early 20th centruy in each representing a particular Nathadwa~,India, the works in the e ~ i b i t i o n Jane de ~ u f g b view-each an embodiment of a include Iranian, Mughal, and Ottoman paintings. 8-9 Long Acre, sentiment. Ryan and Gemma Princes, Poets and Paladins ends on April 13, 1998. London WC2E QLH, UK are teenagers on dialysis; Ryan Pig in the middle A UK national touring play Wrimn by Judy Upton, directed by Nigel Town, designed by Annabel Lee. Teephone +44 (0) 171 272 5755 for details.
P
THE LANCET *Vol351 March 28,1998
993