“Fieldwork is essentially about hearing stories. We need stories.
They help us understand ourselves and each other a bit better.”
Annabel Kershaw
Composer, The Mariner's Daughter
About
Welcome to the website for The Mariner’s Daughter project! This is where you’ll find all the information about the project as it evolves over the coming year.
The Mariner’s Daughter is a new live music project, combining elements of fieldwork and new music to tell the stories of women connected to the North Sea.
In June 2024, we met for the first time as an ensemble to rehearse and develop The Mariner's Daughter. Here's a short video documenting our development weekend in Portsoy on the Aberdeenshire coast and introducing the musicians involved in the project.
Fieldwork
In early 2024, composer Annabel Kershaw interviewed women from around the North East coast of Scotland about their lives, their experiences and their perspectives.
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Check out our short video about the fieldwork process and the original inspiration for The Mariner’s Daughter.
Stories
Fieldwork forms the beating heart of The Mariner’s Daughter, with each story giving life blood to the music, written over 2024 in response to each interview.
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To hear The Mariner’s Daughter, come along to one of our forthcoming performances (details below). To find out more about each story, read on!
Gillian's Story
26th January, Tarland, Aberdeenshire
In August 1991, Gillian boarded a helicopter bound for an oil rig 99 miles off the coast of Northeast Shetland. This was to be her first time offshore and the beginning of a twelve-year long career as an electrical technician.
At the age of 21, Gillian was one of very few women working on the oil platforms situated in the North Sea. She was the first female apprentice to be based on BP Magnus - the rig that was to become her home from home over her time offshore.
I met with Gillian on a bright Friday afternoon in late January 2024. As we sat in her conservatory she spoke to me about her time on BP Magnus, reflecting on her experiences as a younger woman, her memories of working offshore and how these have left her with a continued sense of connection to those who work on the North Sea.
Photo credit: With thanks to Laurie Kelly
Tour
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