Newcastle-based theatre charity Cap-a-Pie is taking its brand-new interactive show and workshop, Mission Outer Space, directly into primary schools across the North East to inspire young minds aged 4–7.
Created in collaboration with Professor Robert Pal from Durham University and Dr Lewis MacKenzie from the University of Strathclyde, the show explores one of the biggest questions humans have ever asked: are we alone in the universe?
Following its sold-out premiere at Northern Stage on Saturday 26 September, Mission Outer Space has now started its journey into schools. Last week, Cap-a-Pie visited Hotspur Primary School in Newcastle, giving children the chance to explore questions about life beyond Earth.
The school visits form part of a wider programme of 10 school performances, reaching approximately 270 children across the North East during the autumn term.
Rather than focusing on the aliens we might imagine from popular culture, Mission Outer Space explores how scientists actually search for signs of life beyond Earth, including looking at molecules and the chemistry that could provide evidence of living things.
Cap-a-Pie Artistic Director Brad McCormick says:
“I would love for children to come away being excited about science and how it’s looking for signs of life in space in these really amazing ways. And even to think about the big question of ‘Are we alone in the universe?’”
The project has been developed as a genuine collaboration between theatre-makers and scientists.
Dr Lewis MacKenzie says:
“Working with Cap-a-Pie enables us to think about science communication in new and exciting ways that we, as scientists, are not generally equipped to do by ourselves.
“I hope children will learn that science spans the universe from the smallest molecules to humans – or aliens! I also hope they see that science isn’t always split neatly into biology, physics and chemistry, and that science is fun.”
For Professor Robert Pal, working with Cap-a-Pie has also offered a different way to engage audiences with scientific research:
“Publishing in scientific journals for the scientific community is one thing. Getting your work and your message to the public in a completely different tailored form is extremely rewarding and exciting. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Cap-a-Pie. It is always people who aren’t involved with the underlying science from the start who ask the best questions we never thought of.”
The response from children has included reflections about what they have discovered through the workshop. One Year 1 pupil at Hotspur Primary School said:
“I enjoyed learning about space, what is the same and what is different.”
Beth Morley, teacher at Hotspur Primary School said:
“It was fantastic to see the children so engaged with the session. Mission Outer Space gave them the opportunity to explore big questions about space and science in a really accessible way, and it was lovely to see them using their imaginations and sharing their ideas. The children were still talking about whether there could be life on other planets afterwards”
The performance has also got families thinking about some of its big questions. One audience member at the Northern Stage show said:
“It made me wonder if there actually is life elsewhere.”
World Space Week takes place from 4-10 October each year, celebrating space science and technology and encouraging people around the world to learn more about space. Mission Outer Space gives children the opportunity to explore some of the science behind the search for life beyond Earth, while experiencing a different way of engaging with scientific ideas.
Cap-a-Pie is also celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The charity has spent three decades creating theatre with children and young people around big ideas, often working alongside researchers and scientists.
Mission Outer Space will continue travelling into schools across the North East throughout the autumn term.
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