We are commissioning a new opera using a highly unusual open call process. Through open recruitment, workshops, public rehearsals, mentoring and a work-in-progress sharing, we'll demystify opera-making, create new pathways for artists and audiences, and contribute to opera's sustainability.
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Opportunities to create new opera are limited and network-dependent. Arts Council England’s 2024 sector report shows that operas over 100 years old dominate, identifying “innovation and new work” as a priority. Funding pressures mean a handful of companies are gatekeepers. Tellingly, there is no dataset tracking commissions, showing how opaque the pathways are. There is also growing recognition that participation should extend beyond just watching finished performances, to ensure sustainability.
Gothic Opera will deliver an open commissioning process for a new gothic-themed work. We will support emerging creatives and artists from concept to development, with mentorship, collaboration, and payment of fair fees. Holding open rehearsals, public discussions, and a work-in-progress showing, we will invite audiences into the creative process, enabling first-time opera-goers and the wider community to contribute ideas and feedback, becoming part of the opera's development from page to stage.
