Press release

Sounds of Sexology with special guest Dan Gillespie Sells

The Wellcome Trust and the Roundhouse present Sounds of Sexology, the final showcase of a nationwide Sexology Songwriting project, on Tuesday 17 February 2015.

5-minute read
5-minute read

This one-of-a-kind event will bring together a series of partnerships between young people (16+), sexologists and songwriters from across the UK to share their music in a live performance at the Roundhouse. The event will be hosted by TV and YouTube science presenter Greg Foot and live streamed online as part of Roundhouse Rising, a festival of emerging music talent.

Special guest Dan Gillespie Sells, songwriter and frontman of UK band The Feeling, will give a performance of his own on the night. He said: "I was delighted to visit the writing workshops recently. I was so impressed by what I heard and found the whole project so inspiring. I can't wait to hear some of the finished work and I'm excited about being involved with something so innovative."

The five groups of performers - all aged 16+ and from Manchester, Brighton, Havant, Glasgow and London - have been looking at how sex and sexuality is represented in music and lyrics before undertaking their own research, some of which was inspired by the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3).

The project has seen the groups work with researchers and songwriters to craft creative responses to topics including sexual health, body image, stereotypes, sex and everyday life, sex and relationships education, LGBTQ youth, mental health, love and lust, and consent.

Leah Holmes, project lead at the Wellcome Trust, said: "Sounds of Sexology has been an incredible experience. The creativity and enthusiasm that we’ve seen from the participants as they’ve engaged with some of the most progressive research available has been inspiring, and we are thrilled to be able to share their talent as part of Roundhouse Rising."

Sounds of Sexology is part of an eclectic national season linking events taking place inside and outside of Wellcome Collection’s London exhibition 'The Institute of Sexology'. Some of the songs will be made available at listening posts in the exhibition, as well as online. The Sexology Season includes three programmes in Manchester, Brighton and Glasgow incorporating live performance, films, salons, archives, talks and literature events.

Projects have been led by:

The Roundhouse, in collaboration with Wellcome Collection’s Youth Programme, Natsal researchers and the Sex Education Forum (London) Contact theatre and the University of Manchester (Manchester) Rhythmix, in collaboration with the University of Sussex, Safety Net, Brighton Dome and Brighton Youth Centre (Brighton) Music Fusion, in collaboration with the Spring Arts and Heritage Centre and the Centre for Sexual Health Research at the University of Southampton (Havant) Tramway/ Glasgow Life, in collaboration with New Rhythms for Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Glasgow (Glasgow).

The live stream will begin at 19.00 on Tuesday 17 February on the Roundhouse Rising website.