In the news: Essential Guide

The Guardian newspaper has written a guide to organ donation for National Transplant Week: Organ donation: an essential guide

Preparations for dance show

Preparations by St. Gregory’s are in top gear for the multi-arts show inspired by blood and organ donation and transplant. Taking place at the Forum on Friday 15th July 7pm, the show includes dance, live music, film and art. The free evening includes stands from NHS Blood and Transplant, and a ‘question-time’ style discussion. The event is featured in the Bath Chronicle.

Music scores in preparation for live performance in the St. Gregory's dance show

In the news: organ transplant without a donor

Doctors in Sweden have carried out the first ever organ transplant using an organ made in a laboratory. The transplanted organ, a windpipe, was built by scientists and coated with stem cells taken from the patient.

Read more in the newspaper reports (Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Independent) or watch the BBC News video.

 

Event details released

A free multimedia show sharing the creative and scientific work in this powerful and innovative project.

The show will include original choreography, music, film and art by St. Gregory’s pupils inspired by investigations into blood and organ donation and transplantation. The evening also features:

• an accompanying art exhibition of childrens’ work in response to the project
• information stands from NHS Blood & Transplant
• a ‘Question Time’ style session and open discussion with experts and school pupils about the important issues raised in the project.

Tickets are free, to reserve a place email blackmand(at)st-gregorys.bathnes.sch.uk. The show begins at 7pm on Friday 15th July 2011 at The Bath Forum, 1A Forum Buildings, St James Parade, Bath BA1 1UG

The evening show follows a daytime performance for 1000 school children.

View the event on Facebook.

“A FREE must-see event for those who give blood or are considering it, are interested in the issues surrounding blood and organ donation and health & education professionals.

Come and see how we’ve turned the human body, medicine and ethics into a fantastic multi-media production.

Come and experience what young people have to say on one of the most important areas of medical practice.

Come and ask us questions. We’ll be joined by NHS Blood & Transplant professionals, donor recipients, donor families and some very bright & very inspired kids.”

Planning the show

Director Lucy Thynne has been working with the other visiting artists and performing arts teachers at St. Gregory’s to plan the structure of the show.

Taking place in the Forum in central Bath on Friday 15th July, the show will include live dance, live music and film created and performed by students at St. Gregory’s Catholic College.

Donation interview: donating to a stranger

The BBC Radio 4 programme ‘The Choice’ features an interview with Di Franks speaking to presenter Michael Buerk about her decision to give a kidney to a stranger.

Listen Again to the programme at the BBC web page.

“When Di Franks asked her doctor about donating her kidney, she wasn’t sure she would be taken seriously.
Because Di wasn’t giving her healthy organ to a sick and needy relative.. she wanted to donate it to a complete stranger.
Five years ago it was illegal to give a kidney to someone you didn’t know in this country.
When it was made legal, inspired by a friend in the US who had themselves donated a kidney, Di was faced with the extraordinary choice.
Should she undergo a major operation to remove a vital organ to help someone she would probably never know ? Not only was she was risking her own life, the choice could have consequences for her son and the rest of her family if they ever needed her organ…”

The ‘Ask Us Anything’ Campaign

There’s a group called Donna’s Dream and they aim to raise awareness of organ donation. They are working on a campaign called ‘Ask Us Anything‘. This campaign aims to help answer any donation question, from any person. There’s a facebook page, twitter hashtag and website in development (click the link above for more information).

The Donna’s dream website also has a blog which includes organ donation news and links to articles.

Please note we are not responsible for content outside this website.

Donation in the news: BBC Radio 4 documentary

BBC Radio 4 series ‘File on 4′ investigates the problem of organ supplies for transplant.

“Is the NHS doing enough to combat the crisis in organ donations for transplants? Allan Urry examines the challenge of ensuring more suitable donors are available at a time when those waiting for life saving operations are increasing. Surgeons are reporting worse outcomes for some patients, as poorer quality organs have to be used because of chronic shortages. This comes despite a big drive by the Department of Health to improve availability. But, are opportunities to recover more organs being missed because of the way doctors manage the care of patients who are close to death?” From the BBC website

Programme first broadcast Tuesday 22nd March 2011 on BBC Radio 4. Listen again at the BBC website.

Donation in the news: ‘We need everybody to support organ donation’

A report for the morning news programme ‘Today’ on BBC Radio 4 explored the issue of organ donation in black and Asian families.

Click to listen at the BBC website.

“One in four black and Asian families refuse to allow organs to be used from a dying relative even when that loved one is on the organ donor register. James Neuberger, associate medical director of the NHS Blood and Transplant Organisation, discusses the campaign to change attitudes.”
BBC web page

Dance students explore ideas

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Now that the Year 10 musicians have completed their compositions, the project has been moving forward to dance and drama work. Resident choreographer Lucy Thynne reports:

“Year 10 dance students are exploring how movement can communicate the themes surrounding organ and blood donation. Each student has their own story or message to communicate through choreography. The idea that ‘time is running out’ for so many potential recipients is an undercurrent to the work being generated. The dances emerging are energetic and urgent at times, but also still and poignant. Each dance will take you on a different journey.”

As the project unfolds towards the show in summer, the dance will be developed as follows:

• 1. Year 10 dancers create a solo based on their own theme
• 2. These solos are merged, extended, developed to create fuller pieces.
• 3. Years 7-9 dancers collaborate to make their own physical theatre and dance group pieces based on alternative themes around donation.

All photographs © 2011 Josh Jackson (Yellow Box Studios)