“Let us put art to the service of science to do the gentle bidding of industrial power”

Bunk, which premiered in 2000 at the Pavilion Theatre Brighton, UK, as part of the Theatre and Beyond Festival of Innovative Theatre is a comedy about the relationship between art and science as it plays itself out in industry. It was directed by Louise Cope and starred Peter Ellis (“The Bill”).

Three workers, Ike, Albert and Barney, wile away the hours on a rework line reciting poetry.

But what happens when management discover that this time wasting actually increases productivity?

Though Bunk hasn't been written specifically for an audience of managers and organisations, a wide range of relevant themes can be found within it.

The play is a comedy about life and work and a range of organisational issues and questions can be explored using the play and an accompanying workshop as a stimulus.

Taken as a whole the play raises some significant overall questions. Scene by scene a range of specific issues and organisational questions can be explored. Though set in a factory, the themes and questions are applicable to other organisations in both the private and the public sector, particularly as the mass production model still largely influences organisations today of all sizes and in all sectors.

Some questions posed by Bunk include:

·	How can an organisation tap into the inherent creativity of its employees?

·	How can the social benefits of art be united with the scientific benefits of technology and engineering to create truly useful and beneficial products and services for society ?

·	How can art and creativity stimulate innovation at work?

·	What is the best way to control work, to manage people, and to bring about innovation and change in an organisation?

·	What do we do with our time at work? How can we ensure that time huge amount of time we sped in our lives at work, is time well spent?