Acerca de

Opera in Urban Spaces

Saturday 31 August 2024, 3pm

FREE, Venue TBC

 

This event will explore the opportunities and challenges, the successes and near misses, of producing opera in urban environments. We’ll hear from artists who have embraced presenting opera in new ways, in new spaces, to new audiences, and welcome an open discussion on a possible future for opera outside the opera house.

For hundreds of years, opera was largely confined to the Opera House; a marvelled space designed for the demands of large choruses and orchestras, big voices, and a monied clientele.

Increasingly, however, opera is being performed in different spaces; out of the opera house, and into the wilds of libraries, car parks, and shopping centres.

The Leeds Opera Festival has always looked to embrace our urban environment, and present a different type of opera festival - one that doesn’t look to rolling hills and interval picnics for inspiration, but to the venues, partners and communities you can only access in a city.

We’re inviting artists to submit proposals for brief and informal presentations (5 to 10 minutes) as part of the event on this theme to help stimulate conversation and debate. £120 is available to each chosen contributor for your time. Please email david@northernoperagroup.co.uk with your proposal by 5pm, Friday 12 July 2024.