Re:Discover

Re:Discover led to the co-creation of three short operas inspired by the music of Black classical composers, as well as a body of research about the lives and the impact of artists of African and Caribbean heritage in Britain. The project was funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The festival ran as a series of two-day events unfolding in London, Manchester and Nottingham, featuring performances by actor and writer Paterson Joseph, soprano Abigail Kelly, a variety of guest soloists and ensembles, and critically acclaimed Streetwise Opera.

The project featured the world premiere of three short operas co-created by over 100 people with lived experience of homelessness, participating in Streetwise Opera’s workshops across London, Manchester and Nottingham, working with a team of world-class artists. These pieces explore modern themes, whilst taking inspiration from the music of composers Ignatius Sancho, George Bridgetower, Joseph Bologne, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence Price, Margaret Bonds and Shirley J. Thompson.

Re:Discover began its journey at St John’s Waterloo in London, on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 May. The next stop was The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 June, followed by the concluding chapter at the Nottingham Playhouse in Nottingham, on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 July.

Alongside the new operas, the programme included Sancho & Me – For One Night Only, written and performed by Paterson Joseph, about the life of British abolitionist, writer and composer Charles Ignatius Sancho. Another highlight is Shirley J. Thompson’s celebratory opera Women of the Windrush, performed by soprano Abigail Kelly and portraying inspirational narratives from the lives of women who travelled to the UK from the West Indies between the 1940s and the 1960s.

The festival also included pop-up recitals, opera and percussion workshops, discussions about Britain’s African and Caribbean heritage and three exhibitions that explored the impact of Black artists in the UK.