UK opera companies are joining forces with 100 opera houses in 22 countries to present a weekend of activities to celebrate European Opera Days.
Taking place in May 2010, European Opera Days is coordinated by Opera Europa, the European organisation for professional opera companies and festivals, and RESEO, the European Network for Opera and Dance Education.
On Saturday 8 May, Welsh National Opera (WNO) will be entertaining visitors to its home at Wales Millennium Centre with foyer performances from its Singing Club as well as ‘guerrilla opera’ – undercover members of WNO Chorus singing impromptu scenes from Carmen – around the building. There will also be the chance to see some of the props and set models from productions together with the chance to learn more about life behind the scenes with podcasts and short films.
Now in its fourth year, European Opera Days sees opera companies and their teams unite through a weekend of events to make a strong statement that opera is relevant to today’s society and accessible to everyone.
Opera houses across Europe and further afield invite a range of people including opera aficionados, newcomers, neighbours, young people and children to join them for free activities celebrating the art of opera and the talent of those who make it.
With the aim of raising and maintaining the profile of opera through exposure and insight into how opera works within an interactive context, this annual event is geared towards encouraging the formation of new relationships with audiences and strengthening existing ones.
Here in the UK, echoing European Opera Days’ remit with their already-established access programmes, opera houses from Inverness to Aldebugh will be buzzing with activities across the weekend to showcase their work, including creative workshops, open rehearsals, guided tours of theatres and meetings with artists.
This year, activities will focus on the theme of ‘crossing bridges’- bridges between opera companies and their neighbourhoods, between opera and other creative artforms and between cultures- showing how opera is inspired and influenced by the world around us.
