Opera North: Talent Development Fund 2020
Opera North is the national opera company for the north of England. As well as a full programme of mainstage operatic productions and a symphonic concert season, the company also has an extensive programme of music education work. The Projects Department leads the company’s programming and commissioning of new music. Opera North Projects commissions and produces music projects across genres that re-imagine the parameters of opera.
Resonance is a creative residency programme for professional music-creators from minority ethnic backgrounds working in any genre of music, to test new ideas and develop network. Resonance will support professional minority ethnic music creators across genres: the programme has included zulu, arabic and indian classical music as well as hip hop, soul and pop. Each artist develops a new idea for performance, exploring an aspect of what makes opera: storytelling, new musical forms, cross-genre collaboration, theatricality or collaboration.
‘The TDP Resonance programme at Opera North had a delayed and disrupted but exciting and productive year, working with artists from across the north, including Leeds singer-songwriter Pariss Elektra and tabla-player Bhupinder Chaggar who worked with both tap and Indian Kathak dance. We also took Resonance online in a ‘lockdown’ edition with international collaborations.’