BBC Concert Orchestra and classical choir The Sixteen join Streetwise Opera for a moving performance that reminds us that opera can be for anyone and everyone, and that those who have been homeless do have beautiful stories to share with the world.
We’ll meet water spirits and magical bees from Manchester; we’ll travel to a future where robots have replaced humans, and where culture (from a cup of mushy peas to the genius of the Kanneh-Mason family) is preserved in the Museum of Nottingham Life; and things will definitely heat up when environmental protesters surround a double-decker bus in London!
This event is part of Re:sound, a year-long festival that encourages artists and audiences to rediscover the cities they live in, through the eyes – and voices – of people who have been homeless.
Participants in Streetwise Opera’s Nottingham workshops will share the nine micro-operas that have been co-created by people with lived experience of homelessness working with world-class composers in London, Manchester and Nottingham.
The Re:sound micro-operas are imbued with fearlessness – the courage it takes to claim back your voice and your identity after experiencing trauma, the determination to explore and celebrate the spirit of a city that made you feel unwelcome, and the certainty that the voices of those who have been homeless deserve to be listened to.
Yet, there is lots of humour in these pieces, and a willingness to explore themes that make us feel proud of the cities we live in.
This striking performance features an animated backdrop produced by 1927, a multi-award-winning theatre company that specialises in combining performance and live music with animation and film to create large-scale productions. The artwork for this backdrop was created during a series of workshops with Streetwise Opera participants led by visual artist Amber Cooper-Davies.
