Streetwise Opera is the leading charity providing personal development opportunities to homeless and formerly homeless people through participation in professional music performance; and by staging several productions each year, aims to raise the profile of homelessness among the general public and policy makers.
Streetwise seeks primarily to build self-esteem confidence, social networks and other skills of homeless and formerly homeless people through its bi-annual productions and its weekly workshops held in 11 homeless centres around the country, but also to illustrate the potential for positive change among vulnerable participants in a welcoming, yet, non-patronising atmosphere.
This project was inspired by Richard Mabey's book, The Unofficial Countryside. Mabey spent his time observing the way nature survives and flourishes in cities, in spite of man's best efforts to concrete over every available space.
Participants from Streetwise Opera's workshops in London took a disposable camera each and had a week in which to capture images of nature surviving in spite of the city. They were asked to notice details that are normally overlooked and carefully choose images which resonated for them. They selected their favourite shots and created their own response to The Unoffical Countryside around them. This film by Joanna Coates weaves together their images and stories.
Some of these images will be featured in our new production "The Answer to Everything" where images of the natural world begin to invade a corporate conference, as the delegates re-connect with their emotional lives.
The Answer To Everything is a 70-minute interactive film and live opera event set in a conference run by fictional property developer Locateco Solutions.
At first the delegates are united and corporate confidence appears sky-high, but as music gradually engulfs the business rhetoric, they begin to question whether their radical re-homing solution really is 'the answer to everything'.
Moving between stage and screen, 30 performers will invite the audience to take part as conference delegates from the moment they collect their lanyard and conference pack through to joining in with the Company Anthem.
A short video featuring a sneak preview of Streetwise Opera's next film opera production 'The Answer to Everything' and an invitation to contribute towards bringing our talented homeless performers to the amazing live premiere shows at the BFI Southbank in April 2013.
Video edited by Matan Rochlitz; behind-the-scenes footage and interviews filmed by Matan Rochlitz and Jo Coates; extracts of 'The Answer to Everything' directed by Rupert Jones. Project conceived by Streetwise Opera Associate Artistic Director Emma Bernard.
Short documentary on the making of Streetwise Opera's 2010 production, Fables - A Film Opera. Take a peek behind the scenes and find out what the performers got from being involved. Directed by Ashtar Alkhirsan.
A short video blog from Pam after recording Streetwise Opera's Radio 4 Charity Appeal - tune in on 19 Aug at 7.55am to listen. You'll be able to listen again here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnc7
Open Mic Night at the Young Vic, 27 July 2011 featuring performances from Streetwise groups at the Passage Day Centre, the Connection at St Martin's and Crisis Skylight.
Streetwise Opera's new commission, 'Fables - A Film Opera' is a set of 4 short 'film operas' created by 4 composers and filmmakers working with 144 performers who have experienced homelessness and a small professional cast.
Composers Mira Calix, Orlando Gough, Emily Hall and Paul Sartin/Andy Mellon worked with filmmakers Flat-e, Gaelle Denis, Iain Finlay and Tom Marshall and each chose a different fable from the traditional (The Boy Who Cried Wolf), the literary (Oscar Wilde's Nightingale and the Rose), the local legend (The Hartlepool Monkey) and the contemporary (Shinichi Hoshi's Hey Come on Out).
World premiere 17 Dec 2010 at Spitalfields Music and then touring. See www.streetwiseopera.org for more details
Part of a series the BBC ran over Christmas 2009 about Christmas Entertainers. The crew filmed rehearsals leading up to our performance of There's a Place for Us at Night Under the Stars at the Royal Festival Hall (The Passage's annual event). Interviews with Ken Roberts, Celeste Braithwaite and Vince Moran
A news piece on Kanagawa TV which was filmed and broadcast during Streetwise Opera's tour of Japan in Summer 09. In partnership wtih the British Council, Streetwise presented My Secret Heart in Yokohama's 150-year celebrations and at Super Deluxe in Tokyo. Streetwise also worked with homeless people, other charities, artists and homeless agencies helped to create awareness about arts and homelessness and to engage in training and capacity building.
A film that was shown at the 2008 Andy Ludlow Homelessness Awards about Streetwise Opera's workshop programme taking place in 11 homeless centres each week across England. Streetwise was the winner of this top award in the homeless sector including a cheque for £10,000.
A behind-the-scenes documentary about Streetwise Opera's 2005 production 'Ruckert Lieder' by Mahler devised and performed by people who have experienced homelessness in Nottingham
A documentary about the making of Streetwise Opera's My Secret Heart by Mira Calix, Flat-e and 101 Streetwise performers. This doc contains more technical information about the process.
Making Of documentary of Streetwise Opera's 2008 production My Secret Heart by Mira Calix and Flat-e who worked with 101 Streetwise performers to create a film and music installation based on Allegri's 17th century masterpiece Miserere. The installation was premiered at the Royal Festival Hall and is on international tour to venues and festivals around the world including the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Winner of a Royal Philharmonic Society Award 2008. For more info visit www.mysecretheart.co.uk (NB this doc is silent so can be used when the installation is running)
Teaser of Streetwise Opera's 2008 production My Secret Heart by Mira Calix and Flat-e who worked with 101 Streetwise performers to create a film and music installation based on Allegri's 17th century masterpiece Miserere. The installation was premiered at the Royal Festival Hall and is on international tour to venues and festivals around the world including the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Winner of a Royal Philharmonic Society Award 2008. For more info visit www.mysecretheart.co.uk
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The Unoffical Countryside - photography film by Streetwise Opera
The Answer to Everything - Trailer
Help fund 'The Answer to Everything'
Behind the Scenes of a Streetwise Opera production
Video blog of Pam after Streetwise Opera's BBC Radio 4 Charity Appeal.MOV
Fables - A Film Opera (trailer)
Streetwise Opera Promotional Film 2010
Streetwise Opera on BBC Breakfast News Dec 2009
Streetwise Opera on Japanese TV
Streetwise Opera - Andy Ludlow Homelessness Award 2008 winning film
Streetwise Opera featured on BBC Culture Show 2005
Streetwise Opera - My Secret Heart 'Making Of' documentary (technical)
Streetwise Opera - My Secret Heart 'Making Of' documentary
Streetwise Opera My Secret Heart teaser film
