An award-winning charity, which uses music to help transform the lives of homeless people, is premiering a new opera in Nottingham.
Streetwise Opera run weekly music workshops in 11 homeless centres and community venues across England and Wales.
They also stage acclaimed opera productions starring people who have experienced homelessness alongside professional singers.
New Opera
The charity will now bring a brand new opera to Nottingham Contemporary on Saturday May 16, featuring Streetwise performers from the city.
To The Silkwood Tree, created by writer Hazel Gould and composer John Barber, is a timeless tale about the search for redemption as the audience are guided on a journey from darkness to light.
Streetwise Opera was conceived in 2000 after a group of people at a night shelter saw the opportunity to challenge the public’s perception of the homeless by working on an art-form traditionally considered elitist.
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After a politician was quoted saying “the homeless are the people you step over coming out of the Opera House,” the group set out to reverse stigma into celebration.
Involvement with the charity is usually the integral first step in boosting the self-confidence for homeless, formerly homeless and isolated people suffering from low self-esteem.
Bigger Things
By tackling the challenges of singing opera as well as building plenty of social and practical skills, people have the capacity to move on to bigger things.
Roles at Streetwise Opera often lead to further community engagement, independent living and employment.
Streetwise also offer a Work Placement Scheme to those involved.
Tickets for the free event are now completely sold out, though there may be some available on the door on a first-come-first-served basis.
For more information, click here.
