James Redwood: The Open Fund for Music Creators

For:

The Albany Theatre Street Opera Project

Commissioned by:

The Albany Theatre

Event date:

19th July 2014

Event venue:

The Albany Theatre

Find out more by visiting:

www.thealbany.org.uk/event_detail/1224/Music/The-Albany-Street-Opera-

Lead by Creative Producer Rachel Nelken, in partnership with the Albany Theatre, the Albany Street Opera project is an exciting and slightly crazy experiment in community opera! With music and dramatic direction from award-winning team composer James Redwood and dramatist Hazel Gould, supported by outstanding vocal leaders Freya Wynn-Jones and Abimaro Gunnell, the project includes 6 groups from diverse social, ethnic and musical backgrounds: Entelechy Arts, Heart n Soul, Lewisham Music Education Hub, Deptford Green School, Uncover Youth Theatre, the Central Afghanistan and Asian Association and local primary schools. Participants will range in age from 5 to 90 and will be given the chance to contribute musical or narrative ideas through a series of workshops taking place in and around the Albany Theatre throughout June and July 2014.

This is the ‘research and development’ phase of a longer-term project, towards a fully staged opera production featuring local performers alongside professionals. The project will take as inspiration themes from anti-poverty campaigner and Big Issue Founder John Bird’s book ‘The Necessity of Poverty’, and is supported by John Bird.

Bringing different communities together, especially those that live and work alongside each other on a regular basis without ever meeting is a key aim for this project. Key events include a ‘Sharing session’ on 21 June for all participants to meet, share their work and learn a song together. A ‘work-in-progress’ public performance of all the work created by participants will take place at the Albany Theatre on Saturday 19 July at 5pm.