ELECTRIC VOICE THEATRE
'ECHOES FROM ESSEX'
ESSEX GIRLS - AN ALTERNATIVE REALITY
'ECHOES FROM ESSEX'
ESSEX GIRLS - AN ALTERNATIVE REALITY
Electric voice theatre is an award-winning contemporary music theatre acapella ensemble, commissioning and creating cutting edge vocal music for theatrical performance, and participating in creative multi-disciplinary collaborations.
For the last two months while in Lockdown Electric Voice Theatre have been working on line with their project, Echoes from Essex which is coming to an end on Friday 30th October. It has been a fascinating experience for the company, working with Essex based scientist, musicians, poets, composers, artist, historians, Essex County Council and big corporations.
Here's what Artistic Director, Frances M Lynch tells us about the project.
Here's what Artistic Director, Frances M Lynch tells us about the project.
"I’ve no idea where the stereotype of Essex Girls comes from – considering the ones we’ve found out about and worked with during our Echoes from Essex project this lockdown summer - we’ve found incredible stories of women in STEAMM (Science Technology Engineering Art Music and Medicine) from as far back as the 17th century –
And that’s not all
– these women have counterparts today
– inspiring women working in space technology, skin biology, mathematics, ecology, engineering and more
– who joined us to make our live SOUNDINGS FROM ESSEX events which went out weekly on Zoom and included music, conversation with the scientists and Dr Patricia Fara (Science Historian who often appears on In Our Time), and some children who were involved in the project too.
Did I say music?
Imogen Holst, daughter of Gustav Holst (The Planets) who has left a legacy with Thaxted and Aldeburgh Festivals…..to mention just one from history
and of course Cheryl Frances-Hoad who is one of the up and coming young composers of our time……to mention just one from the present day…
All this has been going on as part of the ESSEX 2020 STEAMM initiative. We’ve been working with Chelmsford Civic Theatres, local people, businesses, scientists, and councils to deliver workshops and live Zoom performances and rehearsals investigating the past and present.
And what’s more, Friday October 30th we will be shouting about it through a ton of resources on our Website for researchers, teachers, audiences, kids, singers, scientists, composers and anyone interested in how on earth Essex Girls could have been stereotyped in such a ridiculous way when they are some of the most creative, inventive, intelligent and successful women in the UK!
Some of the pages are up now – have a look!
We think your audience would want to know about this!"
Frances M Lynch
Artistic Director
electric voice theatre
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- Margaret Cavendish a Natural Philosopher, who wrote the first science fiction novel (yes she did!);
- Elizabeth Tollet who lived in the Tower of London and communicated Isaac Newton’s science through her poetry;
- Ellen Willmott a plant collector and horticulturalist who introduced huge numbers of plants to the Uk which can still be seen growing in our gardens today;
- The Queen of Slime Mould – Gulielma Lister – niece of the famous surgeon Joseph Lister – and yes Slime Mould is a beautiful thing with links to the Hubble Telescope;
- Florence Attridge – a working girl at Marconi’s in Chelmsford making secret spy radios during WW2 who got a medal from the King and …..
- Beryl Platt – Baroness Writtle - an aeronautical engineer who became Chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission and set up WISE – Women in Science and Engineering – a society which has helped encourage a million women into STEM.
And that’s not all
– these women have counterparts today
– inspiring women working in space technology, skin biology, mathematics, ecology, engineering and more
– who joined us to make our live SOUNDINGS FROM ESSEX events which went out weekly on Zoom and included music, conversation with the scientists and Dr Patricia Fara (Science Historian who often appears on In Our Time), and some children who were involved in the project too.
Did I say music?
Imogen Holst, daughter of Gustav Holst (The Planets) who has left a legacy with Thaxted and Aldeburgh Festivals…..to mention just one from history
and of course Cheryl Frances-Hoad who is one of the up and coming young composers of our time……to mention just one from the present day…
All this has been going on as part of the ESSEX 2020 STEAMM initiative. We’ve been working with Chelmsford Civic Theatres, local people, businesses, scientists, and councils to deliver workshops and live Zoom performances and rehearsals investigating the past and present.
And what’s more, Friday October 30th we will be shouting about it through a ton of resources on our Website for researchers, teachers, audiences, kids, singers, scientists, composers and anyone interested in how on earth Essex Girls could have been stereotyped in such a ridiculous way when they are some of the most creative, inventive, intelligent and successful women in the UK!
Some of the pages are up now – have a look!
We think your audience would want to know about this!"
Frances M Lynch
Artistic Director
electric voice theatre
Facebook Twitter
Below: A painting by a local young artist Elspeth Manders and a picture of Beryl Platt: Baroness of Writtle and Aeroplane Engineer just one of the women from Essex featured in the project.
