Despite the well-evidenced transformational impact that music has on children’s lives, music provision is decreasing at a marked rate in state primary schools. Diminishing arts provision in state education means that the arts are increasingly seen as the reserve of those who can afford access to it outside of the classroom, increasing social divides and negatively impacting the mental health and wellbeing of young people.

ETO will respond to these challenges by commissioning, creating and touring new operas for children, which will be performed in schools, libraries, and theatres across the country, in what may be the audience’s first live opera experience. These children will be immersed in the opera’s multi-sensory world through up-close storytelling, engaging music, meaningful characters, interactive elements, and high-quality set, props, and costumes.