Dangerous Matter - A New Opera on Medicine, Memory and Innovation

Blending science and history, Dangerous Matter is a powerful reflection on the role of memory in medicine and human progress.

This opera is the result of a collaborative process between scientists and musicians, working together to bring the production to life. It is part of the Thanks for the Memories project, supported by the Wellcome Trust.

Memory shapes the past, defines the present, and guides the future.

In 18th century Britain, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu defied medical convention by championing inoculation, a practice she had witnessed in Turkey. Facing resistance from the Royal Society, she trusted the expertise of inoculators across Asia and Africa, paving the way for evidence-based, preventative medicine. Her advocacy laid the groundwork for Edward Jenner who would refine these ideas 40 years later, leading to the first vaccine.

Through Lady Mary’s story, Dangerous Matter explores memory in its many forms: historical, personal, and biological. Who do we remember for shaping the world and transforming global health? How does memory define identity and legacy? And how does the body itself remember, protecting us through generations?