大象传媒

Most of us would like more rest 鈥� but what exactly is it? Doctors tell us to put our feet up - but Claudia Hammond hears how a boxing poet and composer interpret rest.

Over the past two years she鈥檚 been working at the Wellcome Collection in London as part of Hubbub 鈥� a group of artists, scientists and historians 鈥� examining the topic of rest. Hubbub鈥檚 leader, Professor Felicity Callard from Durham University, muses over rest鈥檚 relationship to activity.

Some believe that life is a cycle between activity and passivity 鈥� rest always has to make you better at being active.

Dr Ayesha Nathoo from Exeter University studies how rest became a technical skill which needed to be taught in the early-twentieth century.

Composer Antonia Barnett-McIntosh wrote a piece for flautist Ilze Iks called 鈥淏reath鈥� 鈥� an exploration of the musical term 鈥渞est鈥�, when a musician pauses to inhale or exhale.

Novels often use activity to drive plot: rest has been largely neglected except in rare examples like Bartleby the Scrivener who decides to make rest a way of life.

Boxing poet Steve Fowler rests by sparring. He says his mind can鈥檛 rest until his body is tired out 鈥� and it makes him a nicer person.

(Photo caption: A man sleeps in a hammock close to the beach in the commune of Anse-a-Pitres, Haiti 漏 HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images)