092881/Z/10/Z: Cinema for Primates

Project Summary:This project explores the possibility of making videos expressly aimed at a chimpanzee audience. In a challenging approach to communication between species, collaborating artist Rachel Mayeri and scientist Sarah-Jane Vick will work directly with chimpanzees in the unique research environment at the Budongo Trail, Edinburgh Zoo, to discover their preferences and make cinema to engage them and explore their view of their world. The result will be a collaboration between an artist and a scientist like no other. An artistic product will be created for another species in an open research process while awareness of issues of scientific issues of creativity in cognitive research primates will be raised among large numbers of the public. Both the film made for primates and a high-quality documentary film or the process will be shown widely at festivals and other events, reaching a large public audience.

Grant Holder:Mr R La Frenais

Organisation:Arts Catalyst

Financial Year:2010/2011