by Benjamin Britten
World Premiere staging

With New College Choir Oxford 27-29th November 2003

Participating homeless centres:

• Steppin’ Stone
• The Gap
• Lucy Faithful House
• ECHG Drug Recovery Project
• Nightshelter

Streetwise Opera together with New College choir and up to 25 other local organisations came together to stage a professional opera with the homeless of Oxford.

The project involved turning the tables on the haves and have-nots in a city whose poverty is often hidden by high art and affluence and gave the homeless centre-stage in a professional opera that was performed with New College choir.

After the project, we undertook a very structured follow-up process including setting up workshops to continue after the project and a Work Placement scheme with local arts organisations including Oxford Playhoue, Oxford Contemporary Music, Music at Oxford and Pegasus Theatre.

Company

• Tom Raskin – Tenor
• The Choristers of New College, Oxford
• Edward Higginbottom (Ceremony of Carols) & Dominic Harlan (Winter Words) -Music Directors
• Alice Trentham – Harp
• Kenneth Richardson – Director
• Matthew Peacock – Producer
• Chris deWilde – Designer
• Neil Fulcher – Lighting Designer/Production Manager
• Colm Reilly – Stage Manager
• Eliza Higginbottom – Wardrobe