In her Performance Lecture: On Fear, psychology researcher Armita Golkar will explain what happens to us in situations where we feel threatened and afraid. We are programmed to distinguish threats by learning from our own experiences, but also by benefiting from the experiences of others. In this way, fears may spread rapidly between people and can, in extreme cases, make a difference between life and death. But far from all our fears are rational, or even have anything to do with our reality. Where do they come from? How can we get rid of a fear that poses an obstacle in our life?
“I want science to touch people. By using the theatre as a form of expression, I see a unique opportunity to achieve that goal”, says Armita Golkar about her performance at Dramaten.
“Our collaboration with Dramaten& − the side programming unit of Dramaten – has awakened curiosity, reflection and desire to learn more – an ambition that guides the programme activities we are now developing for the future Nobel Center. We give the audience an insight into the issues faced by researchers and what impact research may have on our society”, says Anna Sjöström Douagi, Programme Director of the Nobel Center.
Armita Golkar, born in 1983 in Iran, is a postdoctoral researcher in psychology at Karolinska Institutet (KI), a medical university, and an affiliated researcher at Stockholm University. In 2103 she defended her Ph.D. dissertation, entitled Learning not to fear: extinction, erasure, and the recovery of fear memories, in the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at KI. In addition to her research and teaching, she also holds public lectures and has appeared on the BBC as well as on the popular science programme Fråga Lund (Ask Lund) and the documentary series Sociala monster (Social Monsters) on Swedish Television (SVT). In 2015 she was awarded a prize as an outstanding young researcher in psychology, established by the Swedish National Committee for Psychological Sciences at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Alexander Mørk-Eidem is behind successful productions including The Jungle Book and The Three Musketeers at Stockholm’s Kulturhuset Stadsteatern (City Theatre). At Dramaten he has directed such plays as Ivanov by Leo Tolstoy, Swede Hollow by Ola Larsmo and most recently The Witches by Roald Dahl, an audience favourite.
Featuring: Armita Golkar
Director: Alexander Mørk-Eidem
Scenographer and costume designer: Jenny Ljungberg
Dramaturg: Mia Törnqvist
The Performance Lectures
Science and stagecraft join forces as the Nobel Center and Dramaten& collaborate in presenting a series of Performance Lectures − a format that conveys knowledge by using the tools of theatre, based on the daily lives of various researchers. It is a new way of exploring and communicating science with the help of stagecraft techniques. Acclaimed robotics researcher and Professor Danica Kragic Jensfelt inaugurated the series with her Performance Lecture about robots and Professor of Theoretical Physics Ulf Danielsson followed with a Performance Lecture on the universe.
Performance Lecture: On Fear, September 11-12 and October 2-3, Lilla scenen. In cooperation with the Nobel Center.
About the Nobel Center
The Nobel Center will be a new building in the heart of Stockholm where the Nobel Prize and the fantastic discoveries and contributions for which the Laureates have been rewarded will find their natural venue. The Nobel Prize will provide the basis for a broad range of public activities including exhibitions, school programmes, lectures and discussions about the major issues of our era. The Nobel Center will be a place where committed reformers, curious Stockholm residents, school classes and visiting tourists can meet and be inspired to contribute to a better world. The elegant, timeless building was designed by David Chipperfield Architects Berlin.
