Join our workshops
Our regular in-person workshops are suspended during lockdown, but you can still join our exciting programme of digital activities online. To find out more, visit the group We are Streetwise Opera on Facebook, follow our sessions on YouTube Live or email us.
Streetwise Opera is a journey that anyone who is or has been homeless can take. A journey that begins by coming to our workshops, where you can sing your heart out, find out about opera and other music and make new friends. The Streetwise Opera journey will take you through our programme and beyond Streetwise Opera, onto other possibilities and futures.
Join us! We deliver free singing and creative workshops in London. Manchester, Newcastle Gateshead, Nottingham and Teesside. The workshops are led by friendly, highly experienced musicians and a trained support worker. You don’t need to know anything about opera and you don’t need any previous experience singing. During the sessions, you can:
- Discover that everyone can sing
- Get creative and explore stories and characters
- Meet new people and have fun
- Get involved in live performances, get free tickets to shows and take part in volunteering opportunities
Here’s a bit more about what you can expect from your Streetwise Opera journey:
- Workshops. Free and fun sessions every week in a homeless day centre or an arts venue. You can expect a warm welcome, engaging warm up activities, and the chance to explore an opera or create something new with the group – including looking at characters and stories. These workshops offer a week-to-week programme, in which individual voices can grow stronger and friendships can be built. Fancy taking a solo? You can. Fancy adopting the role of a Spanish bullfighting rogue? You shall. If you prefer to stay in the background and join in with the group when you’re ready, that’s fine too. Everyone is welcome regardless of your experience.
- Performances. We do at least two performances a year in each of our regions, but generally we do more. We love the buzz of live performance – and, of course, the applause!
- Attending cultural events and activities. Free performances, workshops, concerts, dance pieces – we make sure that the performers in each region have opportunities to see and hear it all. If you’ve never been to the theatre or to a concert, this is your chance to find out what it’s all about. If you love it already, this is your chance to see more.
- Volunteering opportunities. Step off the stage and into the community, where you can be involved with many different local cultural events and activities.
- Representing Streetwise Opera. The performers we work with are the absolute beating heart of Streetwise Opera, and they represent the company at different events, and performances across the country.