Writer and musician Kate Kennedy takes a personal look at five lost cellos, and what they can tell us of those who played and loved them and how our identities are shaped by the physical, social and psychological impacts of performance.

What happens when you re-imagine what a cello can be? From pieces of derelict instruments, and offcuts of wood, along with cutting edge technology, Kate Kennedy is making a prototype of a new, hybrid cello, that looks nothing like we might expect. This is a cello whose story is yet to begin.

Working amidst the wood shavings and priceless instruments in the historic workshop of Hill and Sons, the cello parts are destined for a youth orchestra in Argentina and designed to be easily reassembled by the young players. Every aspect of the instrument has been re-imagined. As Kate stumblingly creates the very first cello for them, getting to know a cello’s every contour, she reflects on perhaps the weirdest cello ever made, and its role as an instrument for the future, shaping young lives, and telling new stories.

Producer: Adrian Washbourne