Ultimate Breath Alastair Lewis, Supriya Nagarajan and Lucy Nolan
Event details
Explore the impact of visible and invisible air pollution on our health through talks and a special meditative musical performance by Sonic Threads, featuring Carnatic singer Supriya Nagarajan on voice and Lucy Nolan on harp.
Supriya and Lucy Nolan are joined by atmospheric chemist Alastair Lewis of the University of York in a discussion about air pollution and the partnership of science and music. Supriya will demonstrate the practice of Pranayama (yogic breathing exercises), while Lucy explains invisible notes, as well as the resonances of the harp in relation to the human lung.
Alastair will outline the dangers of both visible and invisible air pollution, and discuss some of the possible solutions.
A short musical performance, Ultimate Breath, will delve into breath and the impact of air pollution on the lungs, while indirectly encouraging the audience to explore the power of their own breath on the nervous system.
Photo credit: Marni V Photography
About the speakers and performers
Alastair Lewis is Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of York and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), based in the Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories. He is Chair of the Defra Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) and the Department for Transport Science Advisory Council.
Sonic Threads (Supriya Nagarajan and Lucy Nolan) have worked at venues and festivals on musical performances that embrace climate change. Both the artists have a long legacy of creating subject-based music work and have performed in venues across the UK and internationally. They have also interrogated the subject with specialists across the spectrum from lung specialists in the NHS to green sustainability engineers. They are currently working with Brass Band England and Bristol City Brass band to explore a contemporary piece in which the sounds of human breath form the musical notes.
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