Snappy Operas to get children learning and performing opera

Mahogany Opera Group is creating ten new ten-minute operas with some of the UK most exciting writers and composers. These short pieces will be designed for, performed by and created by children aged 7 to 11. And the first operas are first performed during March and April, in Cornwall, West Cumbria, Norfolk, Suffolk and North Tyneside.

Artists who have created the first five Snappy Operas include composers Emily Hall, Errollyn Wallen, Jamie Man, Ed Hughes and Luke Carver Goss, and writers Ian McMillan, Toby Litt, Stephen Plaice and Peter Cant.

Mahogany Opera is teaming up with ten regional partners, including music education hubs and arts venues, to bring each of the Snappy Operas to life with 1,500 children across the UK. In the first year, this includes: The Apex, Cornwall Music Education Hub, Norfolk Music Hub, North Tyneside Music Education Hub, Rosehill Theatre and Suffolk County Music Service. The process is overseen by Mahogany Artistic Director Frederic Wake-Walker and music director Stephen Deazley, and the first group of operas have been written and workshopped, they are now being learnt, rehearsed and produced in each school. In addition to learning the music and libretti, the children taking part in the project receive a design pack to create their own costume for the final performance.

One of the first Snappy Operas, The Itch-Witch, created by composer Emily Hall and writer Toby Litt has won a place in the New Music Biennial 2017 and is part of Hull UK City of Culture celebrations (on 1 July 2017) and will be performed at London’s Southbank Centre on 8 July 2017.

Snappy Operas is generously supported by the Michael Tippett Musical Foundation and PRS for Music Foundation (Talent Development Partnership).

Full details from the Mahogany Opera website.