“I was shy when I joined, but now I feel much more confident and I’ve made a lot of new friends. I just love it – the singing, the places we go, the people I’ve met.”

At his first Streetwise Opera rehearsal, Anthony remembers feeling shy. Though very quickly, Anthony met and connected with his fellow performers. Now, Anthony has performed on stages across England and blossomed into a confident, exuberant performer. In Streetwise, he has uncovered his love for performing and a supportive community of creative individuals: individuals who are stepping into the spotlight and taking center stage.

Anthony’s story is one of several featured in our newly published Impact Report, which brings together stories, statistics and reflections from across Streetwise Opera’s work over the past year.

Case Studies

Streetwise compiled two performer case studies: Matthew and Anthony. Matthew joined Streetwise in September 2024 after being encouraged to try the program out. Matthew, like Anthony, felt shy and unsure at his first session — though these feelings quickly dissipated. Matthew formed new friendships and found true joy in performing alongside others. He’s passionate about singing and acting and performing, passions he continues to develop during Streetwise’s weekly sessions. Additional case studies are available to read in the impact report.

Streetsong

One of Streetwise’s most unique and pioneering projects, Streetsong, offers people sleeping rough a chance to express themselves, feel seen, and connect with others. Streetsong is a collaboration of creative joy and new possibilities — it’s also a chance for passersby to see someone who is homeless in a new light, helping them feel valued in a world that so often looks the other way. Leah, an Outreach worker with The Connection at St Martin’s, engaged closely with this project. She recalled how so many talented people have gifts that go unseen; Streetsong is a chance for those gifts to be recognized. Leah worked with several individuals through Streetsong, many of whom invited her into their creative, emotionally rich worlds.

Outcomes

Streetwise Opera performers completed a series of surveys that allowed them to reflect on their involvement in our projects. These surveys assessed wellbeing, performance and storytelling, and the participants’ understanding of opera and development of vocal skills. Performers reported overwhelmingly positive responses and outcomes. 86% of respondents said they felt confident all the time or often; 90% strongly agreed or agreed that they could use their own ideas and imagination to create and communicate new stories through opera; 93% reported that they enjoyed performing for and engaging with an audience.

Sector Change: Impact on Artists

The creative teams that worked on Nature, Streetwise Opera’s 2024–25 project inspired by the natural world, completed a short survey at the end of the initiative to assess the impact it had on their creative practices. 83% of the artists said that working with Streetwise Opera deepened or improved their co-creation practice, and 50% said that the project deepened or changed their relationship with nature. Artists and practitioners commented on the power of music and the joy they experienced working with Streetwise.

These highlights are only a fraction of the information contained in Streetwise Opera’s Impact Report. If you’re interested in learning more about Streetwise, take the time to read through the report in full. We’re excited to continue developing and sharing new projects with you.