History of the Present: Screening, Art Night, Dundee

History of the Present is an opera-film, made collaboratively by Maria Fusco and Margaret Salmon, featuring new compositions by Annea Lockwood, libretto by Maria Fusco and improvisational vocal work by Héloïse Werner. Shot on 35mm by Margaret.

This intersectional, intergenerational feminist work forefronts working-class women’s voices to ask: who has the right to speak, and in what way? Layering sociological, cultural, and political themes from the recent history of Northern Ireland, the work exercises voice, breath and field-recording composition through a range of film techniques and operatic articulations, to amplify marginalised stories. Made on 35mm and video in the streets of Belfast, the Ulster Museum and the Royal Opera House in London, History of the Present observes how defensive architecture defines movement to enforce intersectional histories and identities within daily experiences in conflict and post-conflict zones on an international level. Early stages of the work were developed during my fellowship at the Royal Opera House. The work premieres in the year of 25th anniversary of The Good Friday Agreement.

Funded by the British Council, Creative Scotland and the Royal Opera House, London.

19.04.23 Belfast International Arts Festival 24.06.23 Art Night, Dundee 02.07.23 The Royal Opera House, London 11.08.23 Edinburgh Art Festival [live version]

Then touring internationally