Sporting Minds
The roar of the crowd as you enter the stadium or streak past the winning post surely has a profound influence on your performance. The surge of adrenaline, the will to win, and the shared experience for both athlete and spectator: what’s going on in the brain is the theme for this series of events. We explore the competitive spirit that exists in athletes. In teams or in solo sports, the relationship between athlete and coach fine-tunes natural talent and the drive to succeed. Dis-ability reveals the extraordinary determination of people with disabilities to overcome adversity. Martial arts, seated in a tradition of combat, demand the harmony of body and mind. Sport would be nothing without the sporting minds of the spectator. What turns mild-mannered people into raging bulls, and what impact does crowd behaviour – whether excited or angry – have on the athlete? This series was produced by Elaine Snell (Snell Communications).
When: 26th July 2012, 19.00 - 21.00
Where: Wellcome Collection, London
More Information: http://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats-on/events/sporting-minds.aspx
Description
Sport would be nothing without the spectator. Does being one of a huge crowd of spectators draw out otherwise suppressed behaviour? The ecstasy of winning and the despair of failure define the thrill of competition. What turns mild-mannered people into raging bulls at a sporting event, and what impact does crowd behaviour – whether excited or angry – have on the athlete? What can we learn from this in other social situations? Still, you don’t have to be present to enjoy sport: you can be a couch potato, flopped in front of the TV on a Saturday afternoon, if you like. A TV sports presenter and a radio sound engineer will describe how they enhance the experience to create an atmosphere that is irresistible to the listener or viewer, and the audience will get the chance to contribute to the sounds of sport themselves.
Chair:
Dr Anjana Ahuja, journalist, author of ‘SELECTED: Why some people lead, why others follow, and why it matters’
Speakers:
Paul Mainds, Chief Executive, River and Rowing Museum
Dr Clifford Stott, Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology, University of Liverpool
Vincent Walsh, Professor of Human Brain Research, University College London
Vicky Gomersall, sports presenter, Sky Sports News
Sound designer and TV and radio sports presenter Dennis Baxter will show the audience how the experience of watching sport on TV or listening to sport on the radio can be enhanced. Session led by Dr Harry Witchel, Senior Lecturer in Physiology, University of Brighton and Sussex Medical School.
Registration Information
This event is FREE to attend. Please check the Wellcome Collection's website for registration information.
Contact Information
Wellcome Collection
183 Euston Road
London NW1 2BE, UK
T +44 (0)20 7611 2222
F +44 (0)20 7611 8258
E info@wellcomecollection.org
Deadline Information
N/a