Orchestras Live launches ground-breaking new film, Breathe, as part of a new national screening tour.

Directed by Mathew Beckett and Lee O’Connell of River Rea films, Breathe brings together musicians from Manchester Camerata and community groups from across the country, in an exploration of the theme of togetherness.

The 50-minute film features movement, music and a new commission from Daniel Kidane, with an accompanying sound world created by poet Roma Havers and music creator Ben Nobuto.

The artistic team worked with local partners and communities across England sourcing responses to the universal theme of togetherness. This theme is particularly pertinent following the pandemic lockdowns and the isolation so many people have felt. The resulting film provides a reflection on what it is like to be able to breathe again in open spaces, communities and with each other.

Breathe is the first artistic production from Orchestras Live’s new Create Space strand of work and first screening tour for the national producer. This strand of work creates cross-arts orchestral productions that are made specifically for the screen.

The idea for a screening tour for orchestral productions was cemented during the pandemic lockdowns, as a way to make orchestral music more accessible to communities across England and a cost-effective orchestral production for promoters.

The film was recorded on location at Victoria Baths in Manchester by River Rea Films with audio recorded by Apple & Biscuit Recordings.

#BreatheFilmUK

Dates

Breathe will tour across the country from summer 2022 with Orchestras Live partnering with Cinema For All to distribute to a range of new venues.

Thursday 9 June Sheringham Little Theatre (Premiere)

Wednesday 20 July Darlington Hippodrome

Wednesday 10 August Saltburn Theatre

More dates to be announced in due course

BACKGROUND

This first Create Space project worked with partners at Darlington Hippodrome, Redcar & Cleveland Council, Sheringham Little Theatre and Wiltshire Music Centre as well as Manchester Camerata’s Music Café in Gorton. Partners’ community groups were asked to respond to the theme of togetherness and share their creative work and thoughts with the artistic team. We received poetry, lyrics, a range of artwork, as well as audio and video recordings as responses.

Over three creative workshops, the artistic team explored the content created by these communities and their own responses to this. Through these creative discussions, they devised the concept and programme for this new film.

A beautiful and interesting gem of a building, the Victoria Baths was a vibrant space with swimming pools and Turkish Baths. Locals led a campaign against its closure in 1993 and continued to work to restore the building, which now hosts a range of events as an arts venue as restoration continues.

It was the perfect location for this film, bringing the artists together in a community space with a long history of deep connection to its community to create a film exploring the concept of togetherness.

Featured music:

Daniel Kidane - Breathe (new commission)

Daniel Kidane - Be Still

Jessie Montgomery - Starburst

Arvo Pärt - Fratres

Shiva Feshareki - Venus/Zohreh

Interludes created by:

Music Creator - Ben Nobuto

Poet - Roma Havers

Movement - Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

Programme Manager - Andrea Mcdevitt

Movement Artists - Nina Simonian, Isabel Farrelly, and Emma Perry

Breathe is produced by Orchestras Live in association with Manchester Camerata and River Rea Films.

In partnership with Darlington Hippodrome, Redcar and Cleveland Council, Sheringham Little Theatre, Wiltshire Music Centre.

We are grateful to have received support from Arts Council England and the Weston Culture Fund towards this project.

CONTACT DETAILS

Please contact Alex Marshall, alex@orchestraslive.org.uk for further information on this project/events or to receive a preview of the film.