Beatrix Potter & Spot
Beatrix Potter
(1866-1943)
Mycologist and Author
We all love Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin and others – but author and illustrator, Beatrix Potter, was also a scientist who made important discoveries. In her early years, she was passionately interested in mycology, studying fungi (mushrooms) and ferns with the help of a Scottish Postman!!!
Leccinum versipelle by Beatrix Potter © The Armitt Trust
She was not treated well by some men scientists so she stopped her studies – a loss to mycology but a gain for children’s literature and conservation, as the money earned from her books allowed Beatrix Potter to leave a legacy for the protection of the countryside in the Lake District National Park!
Voices for the Future
Beatrix Potter 2021
The project, based in Cumbria and on Zoom, aimed to spread the word about mycology and its importance to our world through the scientific life and work of this famous author.
We collaborated with scientists, artists, musicians, singers and school children to create a series of activities and events featuring new music and art.
- ZOOM Performances
- Oct 2nd – UK Fungus Day “Beatrix Potter’s Secret Kingdom”
- Nov 10th – Beatrix Potter Fungi Song Competition Finale
- Beatrix Potter Fungi Project – Hawkshead Primary School
- Beatrix Potter Fungi Song Competition
THE TEAM
Frances M Lynch – Director, Composer, Singer
Professor Lynne Boddy– Mycologist Cardiff University
Catherine Booth – Science Historian
Hannah Fox – Visual Artist
Isobel Mortimer – Cumbria Music Services
Kira Ramchaitar-Husbands – Composer
Herbie Clarke – Technical Manager, PR
The Project was delivered by electric voice theatre in collaboration with a unique set of partnerships:-
UK FUNGUS DAY, British Mycological Society,
Hawkshead Primary School, Cumbria Music Service,
Armitt Museum, Cumbria Wildlife Trust,
Freshwater Biological Association (Cumbria),
National Trust:- Hill Top Farmhouse,
Beatrix Potter Gallery & Wray Castle
Voices for the Future – Beatrix Potter 2021
ZOOM Performances
“Beatrix Potter’s Secret Kingdom”
Oct 2nd – UK Fungus Day
A music-drama created by EVT Artistic Director, Frances M Lynch, performed live on ZOOM by electric voice theatre, BSL Interpreter Lauren Lister, and the Voices for the Future Virtual Choir with music by Dorothy Howell (1898 – 1982) and Nicola Lefanu with world premieres by Frances M Lynch, Kira Ramchaitar-Husbands, and a MEGASONG about Beatrix & her Fungi by Hawkshead Primary School.
Introduced by leading mycologist Professor Lynne Boddy and our “BEATRIX POTTER FUNGI SONG” COMPETITION for primary school children was launched by Judith Weir (Master of the Queen’s Music).
Image of Potter’s water colour of Psathyrella conopilus © The Armitt Trust
Beatrix Potter Fantastical Fungi MEGASONG
Competition Finale
Nov 10th – supported by the British Mycological Society
The premiere of the winning verses announced by the judges:- Judith Weir – Master of the Queen’s Music), Professor Lynne Boddy – mycologist, Hannah Fox – artist. Presented by electric voice theatre, Lauren Lister BSL Interpreter, Voices for the Future Virtual Choir, and children from Hawkshead Primary School
Including an animated film by Hannah Fox of the Hawkshead Primary School MEGASONG for Beatrix Potter’s Fantastical Fungi Stories and talks about Beatrix Potter as a scientist and conservationist and the important sites near Hawkshead school where Beatrix lived and worked, and about the importance of fungi to the natural world.
Voices for the Future – Beatrix Potter 2021
New Works
Beatrix Potter’s Fantastical Fungi MEGASONG
by Hawkshead Primary School
film by Hannah Fox
Subsurface
for audio visual presentation
by Kira Ramchaitar Husbands
Beatrix Potter and the Postman
for the Voices for the Future Virtual Choir
by Frances M Lynch
Without Fungi
a cantata for mixed acapella voices
by Frances M Lynch
A Famous Mycologist
Podcast Episode 20
Women of Science & Music: 30 celebrations
Voices for the Future – Beatrix Potter 2021
Beatrix Potter Fungi Project – Hawkshead Primary School
CLASS 2 (Years 3 & 4) created a
MEGASONG for Beatrix Potter!
…with a little help from our ELECTRIC VOICE THEATRE Team
The school is situated in the Lake District very near to where Beatrix Potter herself lived and wrote her wonderful books, so we were lucky to work with these creative individuals who have so much local knowledge. This was our 1st online workshop series, and the staff and students rose to the challenge even when Covid sent them all home from where they zoomed in to their groups and demonstrated how resourceful and courageous each one could be!
HOW DID THE PROJECT WORK?
The children had only 3 full class sessions on zoom – one to learn about fungi and about Beatrix Potter’s life and the others to record their chorus and to work with the artist on drawing giant fungi! Their stories and music were made by each individual child and recorded at home and then compiled and edited in our studio and the finished piece was shared online with parents and friends. There were lots of bonuses too – like their visit to the Armitt Museum to see Beatrix Potter’s fungi paintings – find out more on their new webpage Hawkshead Primary School
Voices for the Future – Beatrix Potter 2021
Beatrix Potter Fungi Song Competition
1st Prize – Sarah Mirkin
“Sarah’s Fungi Song”
arranged by Frances M Lynch & Herbie Clarke
Play the video to hear a MEGASONG
made from the best entries!!
Listen to the Winning Songs
arranged and performed by electric voice theatre
2nd & Music Prize – Ingrid Birchall
“Fungus Fun”
Sung by Margaret Cameron
Samantha Houston and Julian Stocker
Our judges:
Judith Weir, Master of the Queen’s Music
Professor Lynne Boddy, Mycologist
Hannah Fox, Artist
THE WINNERS of the COMPETITION:-
- Chose their favourite fungi – with some help from this FUNGUS DETECTIVES PAGE
- Found out as much as they could about it, with some help from the MYCOKIDS page here
- Made up their verses & sent them in!
Nominated entries were considered for the overall prize and prizes for the best art, lyrics, mycology and music were also awarded
