National charity Deafness Research UK’s educational Bionic Ear roadshow will be stopping Brandlehow Primary school as part of a tour of three London primary schools next week.

The Bionic Ear Show will deliver fun, interactive performances designed to emphasise the importance of ear protection and bring hearing health messages to the young students and staff alike.

Sponsored by BUPA and the Big Lottery Fund, the Bionic Ear Show tours the country accompanied by the ‘World’s Largest Ear’ visiting schools, colleges and community groups, warning people of the dangers to their hearing from loud noise. Visiting schools is particularly appropriate because hearing loss is on the increase among the young and the show aims to tackle this issue.

The increase in cases of deafness and tinnitus among the young is considered to be in part due to the use of MP3 players. So together with informative and entertaining hearing facts, the show educates the MP3 generation on ways to enjoy their favourite sounds safely. The show also visits businesses to remind workers to take responsibility for their own hearing health in the workplace.

“The revolution in MP3 technology has given us music on the move, but an unwelcome side effect is that dangerously high volumes for prolonged periods affect people’s ears. This also happens at an earlier age than ever,” said Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK.

“The fear is we’re all ‘downloading deafness’ and risking permanent damage and tinnitus. We don’t want to stop people listening to music. The Bionic Ear Show’s message is: listen to your favourite sounds safely. Simply turning the volume down will enable all of us to enjoy our music for many years to come.”

The Bionic Ear Show is presented by former teacher Tobin May, who employs a variety of techniques and activities to get the hearing message across. It includes a 22ft long display explaining how the ear works; plus group activities like ‘guess that tune’, so the audience appreciates how easy or difficult it is for people with cochlear implants, so-called ‘bionic ears’, to hear everyday sounds and music. The innovative Bionic Ear Show from Deafness Research UK is a hit with everyone and is presented by Tobin May.

The show explains how your hearing works, what can go wrong with it and, importantly, what if anything can be done to put it right once it’s damaged. Hearing loss is a growing problem in the UK, affecting one in six people – more than 10 million people, so the show’s messages are more relevant than ever. Tobin’s infectious style captures the imagination and no scientific knowledge is required to enjoy the spectacle.

Anyone who would like the roadshow to visit their school, community group or event free of charge should contact Laura Turner at Deafness Research UK on 020 7164 2294 or email Laura at laura.turner@deafnessresearch.org.uk.

December 10, 2012