HerStory: the Covid Chronicles

HerStory is an opera created with performers living with Parkinson’s during 2019, inspired by historical character Margaret Catchpole. 

In 2020 our plans to perform the work at the Royal Opera House were scuppered by the pandemic. We decided to get together virtually to create a short film featuring creative work on some of the themes of the opera: capture, letters and water. 

In a series of three online workshops, participants from the Parkinson’s community in Suffolk and London explored songs, dance, visual, written and spoken word to produce creative material for the film. Film editor John Fensom wove these elements together to create this film. 

Featuring the voices of Rob Gildon and Sharon Eckman, animation by Simon Wild and music and lyrics by Amy Mallett. 

This digitally diverted chapter in our HerStory project was made possible due to funding from FENS and Britannia Pharmaceuticals. 

CARVE’s Amy Mallett and participant Peter Thompson were interviewed about the project for Parkinson’s Life online Magazine in Dec 2020: https://parkinsonslife.eu/covid-chronicles-connecting-performers-parkinsons-disease/