The Charmers

3 Jul 2025 8-10pm

Beaconsfield

London SE11 6AY

Overview

The Charmers are a (possibly fictional) band, formed by seven accused ’witches’ from Ayrshire. These queer, runaway, time-travelling-players were discovered on a 17th century scroll by an artist, Anne Robinson, investigating the Scottish witch trials. As part of Manifesto for Sustainable Experimentation, The Charmers perform in the Arch space with Debbie Armour (Burd Ellen, described by The Wire as one of ‘our finest folk explorers’) on vocals and shruti, Debbie Smith (of Curve and Echobelly fame) on electric guitars, artist Tansy Spinks electric violin, Lisa Lux (The Priscillas) percussion/drums, and Anne Robinson, vocals and visuals.

The Charmers art project considers the ‘witch’ trials then and now and themes of queer banishment and othering: drawing on archival research into the 16th and 17th century Scottish trials, known to be amongst the most brutal in the world. During investigations, Anne found scrolls recording seven accused ‘witches’ in Ayrshire, as ‘not to be found’ - apparently fugitives. From these fragments, using ‘critical fabulation’ and experimenting with songs, film, and performance, the work developed around a ‘sci-fi folk ballad’ and time-travel through queer history. The accused 'witches' abscond using the very conjuring they are accused of – transported away out of their cells to form a band, on tour with their familiars to historical moments of transformative rebellion - levellers’ meetings, molly houses, cabaret, disco protests... Coming soon.. The Charmers! is an art project in diverse forms: films, drawings, sound, broadside ballads, workshops and conversations.

The 4 track EP ‘Not to be Found’ is available via Bandcamp in vinyl and digital formats, also featuring Jo Gate-Eastley and Maggie Nicols.

The work emerged from a residency at Beaconsfield in summer 2022, exploring specific stories from the witch trials in the context of Monica Sjöö The time is NOW and it is overdue! an exhibition of Sjöö paintings with a programme of live responses, June- September 2022, developed and curated in collaboration by Minna Haukka, Naomi Siderfin and David Crawforth.

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