In this episode of The Artist’s Voice, I speak with Dwaynica Greaves – a Neuroaesthetician, Neuroscientist, and creative thinker whose work sits at the powerful intersection of art, science, and education. Dwaynica shares her early background in the arts, reflecting on a lifelong love for drama and theatre, alongside creative writing, poetry, and reading. For her, words have always carried a deep expressive power – a way to explore emotion, identity, and human connection. These creative foundations did not disappear as her academic path evolved; instead, they became the very roots from which her scientific curiosity grew. During our conversation, Dwaynica explains how her passion for the arts ultimately led her toward neuroscience and neuroaesthetics. She discusses her current research objectives, which include investigating the social and cognitive effects of art training and art-making on the artist, with a particular focus on theatre. She also speaks about her work using wearable multi-modal technologies to study human social cognition, and her commitment to developing and facilitating sci-art interventions across the curriculum – from primary school through to higher education. A central theme of the interview is the importance of placing art at the heart of education. Dwaynica passionately advocates for giving children the opportunity to explore a wide range of artistic disciplines, not as extracurricular activities, but as essential tools for learning, self-expression, and social development. She highlights how creative skills cultivated through the arts can transfer into other areas of life and future careers, supporting critical thinking, empathy, communication, and resilience. Looking back, Dwaynica reflects on how her own artistic background continues to inform and inspire her research and teaching. Her journey is a compelling example of how art and science are not separate worlds, but deeply interconnected ways of understanding what it means to be human. This conversation offers rich insights into creativity, education, neuroscience, and the lasting impact of the arts – both in shaping individual lives and in reimagining how we learn and connect as a society.
