Soweto Kinch has forged a successful international career by bridging two very different musical genres – Hip Hop and Jazz.

Now he has been tasked by creative writing project Evolving Words with bringing together two quite individual disciplines – art and science.

The Mercury Prize nominated saxophonist has been commissioned by them to produce a new piece of music inspired by Darwin, father of evolutionary science.

It’s all part of a national drive to mark the bicentenary of Darwin’s birth, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his ground breaking book, On the Origin of Species.

In six cities across the UK - Liverpool, Manchester, Cambridge, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Newcastle- Evolving Words are collaborating with young people to develop 21st Century responses to 19th Century science.

Spearheading the Birmingham end is Canadian Poet Kimberly Trusty.  She explains:

“Evolving Words is a poetry writing and performance project.Participants work with a poet and a science educator in each of the six cities to produce poetry to read, perform, film and share online. The central theme is Darwinian science and its impact on today’s world.  The project is being produced by Elizabeth Lynch in association with the Wellcome Trust.”

Supported by Mark Pallen - Professor of Microbial Genomics at Birmingham University and author of the acclaimed best-seller Rough Guide to Evolution - Kimberley has been working with 10 young poets, 13-22 years old,

Their work, and Soweto Kinch’s musical take on evolutionary science, are to be unveiled at the Drum Arts Centre, Aston during the 4th October Live Box concert - to be headlined by singer songwriter Sparhla Swa.  On 15 November, the performers will again appear at Live Box - this time supporting London poets Patrick Neate and Gemma Weekes.

Evolving words will have its Grand Finale at the Wellcome Collection, London, when in November, a special selection of written work, film and live performances will be showcased.  Soweto Kinch’s musical commission would be the headline performance.

Kimberly Trusty: “So what do you get when you cross evolutionary science with savvy, outspoken teens? Wise cracking baby dinosaurs, the imagined thoughts of a young Darwin, altruism & the struggle for existence in a post-apocalyptic world, human peacocks, a family history of attraction and much, much more.”

Evolving Words national partners are: National Library of Scotland (John Murray Archive), Centre for Life Newcastle, World Museum Liverpool, University of Liverpool, Manchester Literature Festival & Manchester Museum, University of Birmingham and  Cambridge Darwin Festival.

Arts partners include North Edinburgh Arts, Customs House, South Shields, Young Identity, Manchester, NU Century Arts, Birmingham and The Junction, Cambridge.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Elizabeth Lynch, Director, Evolving Words

07876 353232

elizabeth.lynch@btconnect.com

www.evolvingwords.org