We use opera as a way of supporting people affected by homelessness to find inspiration and rebuild their lives and identities. We believe that everyone has the ability to create something beautiful, so we provide creative opportunities that amplify voices and change how society views homelessness.

Categories

  • Arts/Culture/Heritage Arts/​Culture/​Heritage
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Homeless/Refuge Homeless/​Refuge
Beneficiaries

  • General Public/Humankind General Public/​Humankind
  • Other Other

Homelessness is a traumatic and isolating experience, and levels in England have risen over the last 12 months. Over 3,000 people are sleeping rough on any given night and 279,400 are living in temporary accommodation. Singing and opera can enable people who have experienced trauma to reconnect to themselves and other people, forging relationships that enable them to feel part of society. “It made me believe in myself as a person. I'm doing things I wouldn't normally do... I usually hide away.”

From weekly workshops in arts venues to drop-in sessions at homelessness shelters, we provide creative activities for people experiencing homelessness. Whether providing support workers to ensure participants feel comfortable on a trip to a gallery, providing refreshments at workshops or commissioning composers to co-create with our performers, everything we do is aimed at providing a safe space for people affected by homelessness to leave their troubles behind and find their voices as artists.

Categories

  • Arts/Culture/Heritage Arts/​Culture/​Heritage
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Homeless/Refuge Homeless/​Refuge
Beneficiaries

  • General Public/Humankind General Public/​Humankind
  • Other Other