OperaUpClose will tour Flotsam, a co-created, environmentally themed Early Years opera, to primary schools across the Isle of Wight and Solent, focusing on rural and underserved areas. The project will evaluate the co-creation process to inform future collaborative Early Years arts practice.
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Opera remains under-represented in the music curriculum, despite the National Plan for Music Education’s aims (ACE, 2024). Early arts exposure increases lifelong participation (ACE, 2022), yet many teachers lack the skills and resources to integrate music into their teaching (SCMP, 2024). Many Isle of Wight and Solent primary schools face limited live arts access and lack music specialists, and show high demand for creative, diverse arts in rural, underserved areas (SCMP 2024).
Touring Flotsam to primary schools across the Isle of Wight and Solent region will promote equal access to high-quality opera experiences for children, their teachers and families, increasing exposure to the arts for communities in underserved areas. Our evaluation will support the development of the Early Years music curriculum, inform music teaching strategies and skills development, and wider co-creative arts practice with children.
