Join Contact for a Watch Party that premieres a short documentary film, charting the pilot phase of a new choral co-creation project Covid Song Cycle; which is a collaboration between Manchester-based artists – composer Michael Betteridge and poets SAF, Ella Otomewo, mandla and Princess Arinola – in co-creation workshops with four distinct community groups- Sheffield Community Choir; N-Choir; Wild Voices and York Chapter House Youth Choir.
Featuring original music and poetry, written collaboratively by over 100 participants, the documentary is a meditation on the transformational power of music and words to connect, unite and empathise, highlighting both the experience and value of the collective, as well as individual, experiences in creative communities.
The screening is complemented by live performances from poets SAF, mandla and Princess Arinola; performances of new music by composer/musicians Jack D’Arcy and Danyal Hassan; and featuring songs performed by some of the community choirs taking part in the project.
Covid Song Cycle is a new work-in-development, supported by Arts Council England.
Co-produced by Holly Hunter, Michael Betteridge and Contact.
*Text taken from ‘Breathe Me In’ co-created by SAF, Michael Betteridge and Chapter House Youth Choir
