Open Youth Opera

Open Youth Opera
Name	Open Youth Opera
Type	Youth arts organization
Founded	1998
Headquarters	London
Founders	Jane Smith; Michael Patel
Area served	United Kingdom; international partners
Focus	Opera; youth development; community arts

Open Youth Opera is a youth-focused opera company that stages participatory productions and runs training programs for singers, directors, composers, and production crews. Based in London, it operates at the intersection of professional opera houses, conservatoires, arts councils, and community venues to create pathways between youth ensembles and major institutions. The company has collaborated with leading performers, ensembles, and educational bodies while maintaining a public-facing repertoire that ranges from standard operas to contemporary commissions.

History

Open Youth Opera was founded in 1998 by Jane Smith and Michael Patel following initiatives in youth arts led by institutions such as Royal Opera House, Sadler's Wells Theatre, Barbican Centre, and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Early partnerships included residencies with English National Opera, project commissions with BBC Proms, and outreach delivered in boroughs served by Greater London Authority programs. The company expanded in the 2000s through collaborations with Gulbenkian Foundation, Arts Council England, and international exchanges with Paris Opera and Staatsoper Berlin. Notable milestones include a touring production supported by British Council and a co-production season with Royal College of Music that brought together youth choirs from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Mission and Objectives

The company’s mission emphasizes accessibility, professional development, and artistic excellence, positioning itself alongside organizations such as Youth Music, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and Make It Happen Arts. Objectives include fostering young talent for stages like Covent Garden, increasing representation within ensembles historically linked to ENO, nurturing composers aligned with publishers such as Faber Music, and developing technical crews who progress to houses like Metropolitan Opera and La Scala. Strategic aims reference policy frameworks from Arts Council England and collaborative networks that include Creative Europe and British Council cultural diplomacy initiatives.

Programs and Productions

Programming spans staged opera, chamber opera, workshops, and festivals. Signature productions have ranged from adaptations of Carmen and La Bohème to contemporary works by composers associated with Opera North and Royal Opera House commissions. The company runs an annual summer festival supported by venues such as Royal Festival Hall, featuring collaborations with ensembles like London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and chamber groups from English Touring Opera. Commissioned works have involved librettists who have worked with Royal Opera House and directors trained at National Theatre and Young Vic. Technical training includes stagecraft courses using facilities at Shakespeare's Globe and scenography mentorships with studios linked to Victoria and Albert Museum exhibitions.

Education and Outreach

Education programs target schools, community centers, and youth theatres, partnering with institutions such as Southbank Centre, National Theatre, and metropolitan borough councils including Hackney Council and Lambeth Council. Outreach projects have included in-school residencies with curriculum advisers formerly from Department for Education initiatives and joint workshops with ensembles like Streetwise Opera and Duke's Theatre Company. The company’s composer-in-residence scheme has placed emerging writers in collaboration with conservatoires including Royal Academy of Music and university departments at University College London, leading to performances at festivals such as Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Cheltenham Music Festival.

Organization and Governance

The organization operates as a not-for-profit entity governed by a board including trustees with backgrounds at Arts Council England, Royal Opera House, Goldsmiths, University of London, and philanthropic bodies like The Wolfson Foundation. Executive leadership has included directors who previously held posts at ENO, Royal College of Music, and Guildhall School. Funding stems from a mix of grants from Arts Council England, project support by National Lottery Heritage Fund, corporate partnerships with cultural patrons like Barclays and HSBC, and earned income from box office receipts at venues including Sadler's Wells Theatre and touring houses such as Manchester International Festival venues.

Notable Alumni and Collaborations

Alumni have progressed to careers at major opera houses and ensembles including Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opéra National de Paris, and orchestras such as London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Collaborations have featured conductors and directors associated with Antonio Pappano, Sian Edwards, Richard Jones, and composers linked to Benjamin Britten centenary projects. Joint ventures and co-productions have involved institutions such as Royal Opera House, English National Opera, BBC Proms, Garsington Opera, Opera North, Streetwise Opera, and international partners including Paris Opera and Staatsoper Berlin.

Category:Youth opera companies Category:Arts organisations based in London