UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

Lili

In 1913, nineteen year old Lili Boulanger won the Prix de Rome, the Nobel Prize of compositional awards. 

She collapsed shortly afterwards.

As a toddler, Lili had contracted intestinal tuberculosis and suffered excruciating pain and fatigue chronically. She composed “Clarieres dans le ciel”, the songscape for this film, during one of her relapses after her award. Despite the daily pain she lived with along with the knowledge that she did not have long to live, Lili continuously seized life with joy and determination, working tirelessly at her musical craft to achieve her ambitions. Her graft and spirit produced some of the most sophisticated and breath-taking music of the twentieth century.

Health is not linear with chronic illness: there can be painfree days full of capability, followed suddenly-and perhaps unexpectedly- by days/hours/weeks of bone-crushing exhaustion or agony or despair. 

LILI peers behind the curtain of this young woman’s brilliance, courage and exhaustion as she navigates her body and mind in the aftermath of winning the Prix de Rome and gives a glimpse into the many faces life can take with chronic and invisible illness.

A short film shining light on life with chronic illness through dance and acrobatics to the music of Lili Boulanger

If you can afford to pay what you can we recommend a donation of £3 which will go towards our research and development costs for the work.   https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=L6S3LJJH79VVE

Director: Charlotte McKechnie

Movement Artist: Kate McWilliam 

Movement Consultant: Eve Mutso

Musicians: Michal Gajzler (Pianist) Charlotte McKechnie (Soprano) 

Cinematographer: Gabriel Stella

Personal Assistant: Tuesday McPhail

Producer: Nicola Lawton

This work is the culmination of a week of Research and Development between Director Charlotte McKechnie and Movement Artist Kate McWilliam with consultation from Eve Mutso, creating choreographic concepts and song cycle. 

As part of our process, we have anonymously gathered feedback from people with hidden disabilities and chronic conditions as well as drawn on the lived experiences of the hidden disabilities and chronic illnesses our own creative team have. 

In addition, we have received support from some fantastic charities working in this area including ME Association, FND Hope UK as well as industry organisations such as Birds of Paradise Theatre and Articulation. 

The long-term plan for this work is that it will be developed into a live show for theatres, schools and hospices. 

This project is in receipt of Support from Creative Scotland Lottery Funding.