Marra!
Lone Taxidermist
Natalie Sharp AKA Lone Taxidermist is artist-in-residence for Aerial. Originally from Cumbria’s west coast she has returned home to explore her upbringing through a series of three short films, the result is Marra! A deeply personal reflection on growing up as a first generation immigrant in small town Cumbria, a lucid dream set against the arcane, esoteric rituals and traditions that bubble under the surface of everyday life.
Marra!
Lone Taxidermist
A goatskin drum heated by the open fire on Mahé beech a tropical island they call the jewel in the Indian Ocean, I’m lamenting over my island sung in my forgotten mother tongue.
Dad sails back to Cumbria where the auctioneers gavel hits to the beat of the ravanne drum. Gavel rapping for the highest bid, who’s going to get the beast? A herd of herdwick sheep sheared at 160 bpm. The contests of Cumberland reign supreme.
Eskdale sheep dance to the Seychelles Sega
“yam say ici, yam say lava”
My ancestors bounce in the sand singing in sugar cane plantations as the world’s greatest liar spins a tale from the south lakes, Cumberland tribes and Seychelles moutya rituals are fusing together.
Now I have two forgotten tongues; creyole and Cumberland dialect.
A Whitehaven tall tail of the marmalade hunt spoken by a toothless Marra ‘dead eh!’
What perversion is this? Cumbrian rituals of the worlds ugliest face
Why are all these Cumbrians turning their faces inside out? Our reigning champion Tommy Mattinson contorts his face into a wolf Climb the greasy pole and smoke the fastest pipe, catch the apples from Egremont crab fair.
Then it’s time for a wrestle in your long johns over the frozen lake Windermere.
Entropy at its finest.
Transcend into chaos with us Cumbrians