Music. Theatre. Wales. is excited to present the second Future Directions Digital Opera Perthyn, created during 2023, in partnership with Hijinx.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS is a young people’s programme that explores how opera can become a powerfully expressive form for people of all backgrounds and identities. Working in collaboration with professional artists, the young, neurodiverse group of people devise and make a new opera, exploring their ideas and learning from and inspiring each other and the supporting artists. The work created is presented as a Music Theatre Wales production, extending the range of our work, developing new ways of working for the company and connecting with audiences who might not have considered opera as something that could be relevant to their lives.
For this project, Music Theatre Wales has brought together Theatre Maker and Dramaturg Jain Boon, Music Maker Mari Mathias, Singer Llio Evans and Film Maker Gavin Porter to work together with the young participants to create a new and original work in three movements. The resulting piece, Perthyn, is an opera in music, text, movement and film entirely built on the ideas and creativity of the participants, which carries a strong message from the young people for all of us to contemplate.
Future Directions is an annual project that sits at the core of the Company’s main activity. The project is delivered in partnership with Hijinx Theatre.
“Amazing to see story, music, acting, film and animation all happening together”
“I loved singing, voice and movement”
Feedback from participants.
Following taster sessions at schools and young people’s groups and with Hijinx North and Hijinx Telemachus youth theatre groups, the young participants joined together for two, 3-day residences, at Aberystwyth University in April and University of South Wales, The Atrium in Cardiff in August. In between the Residencies the group gathered online to continue developing the ideas and structure of the piece. The young people have created their own story: devising its dramatic representation, creating the visual language, creating, inspiring and performing in the music, and co-creating the filming to share a story they all wanted to tell. MTW has a made a pledge: To be inspired and influenced by their work and by them as creative individuals. This is the basis of Future Directions.
“Confident. Keep being myself. Creative.”
“I enjoy playing with lights. I liked the games. I learned different skills with the camera”
Feedback from participants.
Thanks to funders and partners, old and new:
- Aberystwyth University
- Anthem Music Fund Wales
- Arts Council Wales
- Atrium – University of South Wales
- Events on Stage
- Hijinx Theatre
- Tŷ Cerdd
- Unite Student Accommodation
Funded by Anthem Music Fund Wales through its Atsain fund. This is backed by investment from Youth Music and support from Anthem’s founding patrons and Welsh Government