Since 2006 Streetwise Opera has been partnering with organisations abroad – the aims of the work have been capacity building and training for artists and homeless workers and being a catalyst for arts to be used more widely and effectively in the homeless sector.

In partnership with the British Council, Streetwise Opera ran a project in Japan in 2009 and in Australia in Summer 2010.

The work was designed as a complementary project while our installation My Secret Heart toured to both countries. We are in discussion with BC about future projects in another area of the world.

Streetwise Opera in Australia

Through our partnership with the British Council, Streetwise Opera worked with the Choir of Hope and Inspiration and other organisations in late June 2010 when My Secret Heart toured to the Biennale of Sydney as part of a SuperDeluxe club night on 26 June. We ran workshops with the Choir on theatrical techniques and devising in Melbourne at their home BMW Edge in Federation Square.

We will also present a workshop in Sydney through Opera Australia on working with marginalised adults and communities using opera and music. There will be VJ worskhops led by Flat-e’s Robin McNicholas who helped create My Secret Heart and there will be further screenings of the piece in Melbourne at the Horse Bazaar and Fed Square. Finally we will be engaging with staff and organisations connected with Macquarie Group Foundation our Principal Corporate Supporter.

We are very excited to be working with Jonathan Welch of the Choir of Hope and Inspiration and have been planning a collaboration since the choir was founded in 2006. Since then the choir has become a household name in Australia, producing sell-out concerts throughout the country and a CD that reached the top 10. Hopefully one day we’ll be able to get his choir and Streetwise Opera performers to sing together!

Streetwise Opera in Japan

In 2009, Streetwise worked in Japan with homeless people, artists, arts organisations, universities and homeless workers in Kamagaski (Osaka) and Kotobuki (Yokohama). Both areas have a high density of homeless people and people living in hostel accommodation. Streetwise’s role is to be a catalyst for arts to be used to benefit these communities; to create dialogue between artists and homeless workers and to engage in capacity building for both sectors. We have been very fortunate to work with some inspirational social activists who are creating important work on the ground – Kanayo Ueda of Cocoroom in Kamagasaki www.cocoroom.org and Okabe Tomohiko of Koto-Labo www.koto-lab.com in Kotobuki.

The work will take place in August/September leading up to presentations of My Secret Heart at the Yokohama Mother Port Festival celebrating 150 years of Yokohama. We will also be involved in the Creative Cities International Conference taking place in Yokohama at that time.

Streetwise Opera in North America

Streetwise ran two residencies in 2006 and 2007 in Massachusetts collaborating with the Vermont Arts Exchange and Mass State Department. We ran workshops in homeless centres in Boston and a state hospital in Massachusetts, working with over 180 participants.