Mr Fry Feathers for Rosa Sherkin
Feathers for Rosa was a multidisciplinary event and a unique tribute to Rosa Luxemburg – revolutionary, feminist, visionary ecologist and rebel – featuring a hybrid of performance, painting, music, poetry and film with a Brechtian vibe.
Conceived and presented by Noël O’Callaghan and Douglas Henderson, this event intertwined the life, death and legacy of Rosa Luxemburg (1871–1919) with remnants and recollections of Berlin’s war-torn past. From the poem ‘Du liegst | You lie’ by German-Jewish poet Paul Celan to present-day Berlin, it weaves through time and place, memory and character. It also traces the artists’ personal encounters with locations, terrains and people and the resulting imprint these have left on their emotional memory and how these personal timelines merge with historical events. Rosa Luxemburg’s anti-militarist stance during WWI is contrasted with Emmiline Pankhurst’s White Feather intimidatory enlistment campaign. White feathers collected from swans on the Berlin canal transform this erstwhile badge of shame into a symbol of defiance and peace in her name. Noël O’Callaghan is a visual artist and performer. Douglas Henderson is a composer, producer and performer. They have lived in Berlin for many years and are now based in Drimoleague, West Cork.
Feathers for Rosa also featured as part of the Skibbereen Arts festival with a performance at Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre, 14:30, 2nd August 2025.