What happens to our perception of truth during a pandemic? What happens in our brains that makes us more susceptible to believing and spreading false information in times of crisis? Mixing storytelling and science, Christopher Bailey, Arts and Health Lead at the World Health Organization, will draw on real life examples, taken from pandemics and wars, to explore how rumours and false narratives proliferate in a crisis. In telling these stories, Bailey, an actor and playwright from New York, strips away the layers of our psychology to reveal what makes us fearful, impressionable and fundamentally human.

Misinformation and fake news is also linked to the rise of "fake medicines" claiming to cure COVID19. Christopher Bailey's performance will be followed by a panel discussion including Founder of UCL Fight the Fakes, Oksana Pyzik, and Professor Robert Horne of UCL School of Pharmacy to further explore this growing global health threat and its' psychological underpinnings. The panel will be moderated by Bhavit Mehta of the Knowledge Quarter and will feature a guest appearance from the WHO's Special Envoy for COVID-19 David Nabarro.

“When facing the unknown we often tell a story to help make sense of what we are experiencing, even, and sometimes especially, if few facts are available.” ~ Christopher Bailey

The WHO’s Arts and Health program explores the evidence base for the health benefits of the arts, and the practical implementation of arts-based approaches to improve health at the local level.

Join this moving, entertaining and informative event brought to you by the Knowledge Quarter, in partnership with UCL School of Pharmacy and the World Health Organization.

Our Virtual Events: 

Our virtual events are becoming increasingly popular and often completely sell out. To ensure you are able to join the event, please 'arrive' (via the link sent through Eventbrite ) around 5 minutes before the start. This will ensure you are able to be let into the Zoom room before we reach full capacity.

Once you have signed up via Eventbrite you will receive a Zoom link by email 48 hrs before, 2 hrs before and 10 minutes before the event, please check your JUNK folder for these emails as they are sent directly through Eventbrite's system.

You do not need to download Zoom software in order to participate - there is a web browser version which works perfectly well.

If you have any questions please get in touch with the KQ events team: Bhav or Jemima.

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About UCL Pharmacy:

The UCL School of Pharmacy is one of the most highly rated pharmacy schools in the UK. As the oldest School, founded by the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain in 1842, it has over 175 years of experience and tradition throughout which it has retained its identity as a specialist institution dedicated to teaching and research in pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences.