FREEDOM TO ROAM
Empowering positive solutions through music, film and visual art.
Songlines
Morning Star
‘Full of exciting potential - beautiful’
The Guardian
Innovation Project - Award Winner - Fatea Magazine 2021
March 2020 saw Eliza realising a pioneering musical dream she had been conjuring since 2018, with the new found time that she was presented with during covid lockdowns. A new album, produced by Andrew Morgan, with co-writers and performers Jackie Shave, Catrin Finch and Dónal Rogers, commissioning and co-producing a new documentary with Director Nicholas Jones, and collaborating with visual artist Amelia Kosminsky to direct the epic production Freedom To Roam: The Rhythms Of Migration. Fatea Innovation Project Award winner 2021, it was supported by Arts Council England, The Royal Philharmonic Society and a highly successful Kickstarter Campaign, raising over £11,000.
Working as co-producer for the documentary ’Connected’, Eliza harnessed many people including Virginia McKenna and Will Travers of the Born Free Foundation, with whom Eliza is a patron. She is proud to represent the welfare of wild animals, particularly connecting her to her love of Africa, her many travels and work there in 2004, and her endless fascination with the music that we can share from differing cultures and backgrounds.
Also involved were Alan Watson Featherstone who founded Trees For Life, Nick Hayes - author ‘The Book Of Trespass’, Nick Ray, recently voted No 2 in The Herald Top 20 Scot’s People 2022, and Alexandra Mckenzie who planted 50,000 trees with children from Glasgow as part of cop26.
“How poignant a time to launch a project that was crafted throughout lockdowns, and titled Freedom To Roam.
Born three years ago as a concept of film, music and visual art to represent topics that are hugely important to us - climate change, migration, re-wilding, empathy and human displacement.
Freedom to roam, not linked in any way to the current climate, but ironically apt - a platform that maybe represents an ideology that the likes of John Lennon once wrote about, or maybe just perhaps it touches on an idealism that we can all dare to hope for.
As we often turn on the news to hear of so many horrific stories and tragic updates, it strikes me that we need to reverse this idea of only a negative bombardment being normal; for our mental health, our daily wellbeing, and to help harness the energy and adrenaline that can be found through positive outlooks and actions.
Described as a ’musical masterpiece’ by FRUK, ‘with huge potential and a beautiful project’ in The guardian, and ‘inspirational and thought provoking’ by Songlines, we will then perform our new album The Rhythms of Migration’ to you in it’s entirety, accompanied by stunning visual art from Amelia Kosminsky.
As I wrote this speech I listened to a reading from Small Things Like These by Clair Keegan.
‘What is the point of being alive if we aren’t helping each other’ she writes.
From little acorns grow mighty oaks.”
Eliza Marshall, Freedom To Roam creative director and producer
December 2021
Imagine this; you awake, put on the headlines and 80% of what you hear are the good deeds, the solutions, the people working together for one another, for the future of the planet and our children - not for the instant gratification of a quick fire result, not to avoid the great sadnesses faced internationally, but with the intention of long term strategies of a better world to inherit in 100s of years to come. To see what we CAN do, and what positive actions are taking place, together. To plant a tree that will be at its prime not in our lifetime, but in 200 years and beyond.
This project has allowed us to look for compassion - for hope and for potential.
Our evening will open with a new documentary ‘Connected’ by multi award winning director Nicholas Jones. Whilst restricted by covid, we found some incredible stories and people, highlighting our connection with nature, our access to it, and what possibilities lie ahead for future generations.
visit Freedom to Roam website
Songlines
‘An engagingly immersive, occasionally joyous, cross pollination of African, Celtic and Indian folk and classical styles, traversing themes from climate change to conflict, empathy to displacement. Lovingly crafted and alive with motion, Marshall and company should be applauded for having created a collection so inspirational and thought-provoking from the base materials of our madness’.
Eliza Marshall’s Freedom To Roam brings is a beautifully crafted journey in new music, film and visual art. An award winning album - The Rhythms Of Migration - from acclaimed composers Catrin Finch, Jackie Shave, Donal Rogers and Eliza Marshall, featuring Kuljit Bhamra MBE, Robert Irvine, Joby Burgess and Lydia Lowndes-Northcott accompanied on tour by stunning visual artwork from Amelia Kosminksy. The music is preceded by our short film Connected, from multi-award winning director Nicholas Jones.
Music and film are powerful tools with thought-provoking voices. Freedom To Roam’s mission is to open ideas and conversation about our interconnected worlds, and to encourage feelings of hope, empowerment and aspiration towards a better future for all living things.
Folk Radio Uk
A totally mesmeric hour-long aural experience of transcendent quality. A drink from this global watering hole will leave you enriched, enlightened and, hopefully, a more altruistic, compassionate being.
Connected (short documentary)
(disclosure//suicide awareness//animal welfare)
feat.Virginia McKenna, Alan Watson Featherstone,
Nick Ray, Alexandra McKenzie, Nick Hayes
New Visual Art
From Amelia Kosminsky
Combining photography from our Connected documentary and music from The Rhythms Of Migrations.
The Rhythms Of Migration (live music)
Kuljit Bhamra - tabla/percussion
Catrin Finch - harp/piano
Robert Irvine - cello
Eliza Marshall - flutes/whistles
Dónal Rogers - guitars/bass/piano
Jackie Shave - violin/piano