Opera can be life-enhancing for performers and audiences alike but is deemed by many as elitist and not for them. Co-Oper8, a training/performance course for 8 to 18 year old children, aims to enthuse, excite and educate young people, their families and the wider community to the drama that is opera
Young people in various areas of the UK lack the opportunity to access the high quality training and performance opportunities that used to proliferate. This has many detrimental effects on the community and the individual:- singers are entering conservatoires with little or no stage experience, talent is not being recognised at an early age, enthusiasm for and attendance of live performance of every genre, including opera, is diminishing and the cultural life of our country is suffering.
In a series of 30 weekend workshops and a two week summer course, Co-Oper8 will work with young people between 8 and 18 years old on every element of performance in a variety of genres.The summer course will culminate in performances of an opera at The Apex Theatre, Bury St Edmunds with professional opera singers singing some of the roles and a professional orchestra. This totally inclusive project will involve not just the children but also their families and the wider community - Opera for All