The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2024
Opera for the Very Young – Stories through Sound: partnering with children to enhance the wider operatic landscape, raising the voices of the very young through musical storytelling.
Throughout the campaign week, we'll be sharing insights from David Wiesner, author and illustrator of Flotsam, on the importance of bringing his work to life through opera. We’ll also share stories from teachers who are facing challenges in delivering the music curriculum and hear from the creatives involved in the project about the value of co-creating with the youngest members of our community.
What activity will the campaign support?
As part of the government’s new National Plan for Music Education, schools must ensure that EVERY child has the chance to experience live music. However, low provision of specialist music in schools, particularly in Early Years delivery cause significant barriers to engagement. (South Coast Music Partnership ‘24).
We know that engaging with live music and opera from a very early age:
fosters a lifelong appreciation of the arts
enhances cognitive development through developing literacy and numeracy skills
enhances emotional development through storytelling and creative expression
supports the future of opera
In partnership with the South Coast Music Partnership, Opera for the Very Young – Stories through Sound is part of our long-term commitment to growing a lasting body of work for the very young that will have future life and impact.
We are looking to raise £9,000 to deliver an extended series of collaborative and co-creative workshops in primary schools across Southampton and the Isle of Wight, most of which are experiencing limitations in delivering the music curriculum for early years. Led by a team of writer/director, designer and composer, the workshops will engage children aged 3-5 and their teachers, using Flotsam by David Wiesner - recognised by the BookTrust (2024) as “breath-taking, intricately detailed” - as inspiration for a co-creative process that combines music-making with visual art and notation through mark-making. The aim is to build teachers’ skills and confidence in delivering creative music activities, while also generating material for a new opera that will tour schools and theatres. We believe this enhanced level of engagement, and the agency it provides, is the path to fostering a life-long love of the arts.
How does the match-funding work?
We have secured a ‘match-funding pot’ of £4,500 from very generous supporters of our work. This means that every pound you donate during the campaign week will be matched pound-for-pound, effectively doubling the impact of your contribution. For example, if you donate £20, it will be matched to become £40, pushing us closer to our goal.
How far will a donation go?
£10 – Contributes to workshop materials, like art supplies and props, that help pupils in Early Years settings to engage with the co-creation process and bring Flotsam to life.
£20 – Supports travel expenses, ensuring our creative team can reach schools across Southampton and the Isle of Wight, especially those in more rural areas.
£100 – Covers a portion of the director/writer’s fees, enabling the development of unique co-created music with a focus on artistic integrity and excellence.
£200 – Helps fund the fees of musicians, bringing high professional standards to the workshops, reflecting and expanding the imaginations of the very young.
£500 – Supports facilitation fees, allowing workshop leaders to empower teachers and create musical legacy, unlocking the potential of the music curriculum.
David Weisner Interview
David Wiesner, author and illustrator of Flotsam, expresses his excitement about adapting his award-winning book Flotsam into an opera, particularly how children will experience the ‘infectiousness’ of live performance, contrasted with the more intimate experience of reading. To view a clip from this interview click here.
The Big Give #ChristmasChallenge Countdown – save the date and show your support!
Most children will never engage with opera – we are committed to changing this but need your help!
Every donation made will be doubled, to reach our campaign target of £9,000. Every donation made will bring us twice as far, so whether large or small, your gift will have twice the impact.
Every donation made will be doubled, to reach our campaign target of £9,000 - so whether large or small, your gift will have twice the impact.
Every donation made will be doubled - so whether large or small, your gift will have twice the impact!
Each donation, however large or small, directly impacts our ability to inspire and engage children through music and storytelling! And remember your donation will have twice the impact, as it will be match-funded.
Your donations will not only impact the children and teachers who directly participate but will help build a legacy of accessible opera for our youngest audience members.
“Creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.”
- Sir Ken Robinson quote from TED talk entitled "Do Schools Kill Creativity?
“...whose stories are told, who tells the stories and who gets to make opera and music theatre are questions which have been important to the sector for a long time and are now imperative”
- ACE report Let’s Create: Opera and Music Theatre Analysis, March 2024.
“OperaUpClose are providing aspiration and inspiration to very young children in some of the most deprived areas of the country. An amazing opportunity!”
- Quote from Kath Page, Southampton Music Hub, 2024.
“Access to diverse arts education, including opera and music theatre, is crucial for nurturing creativity. Reduced opportunities in schools mean many young people miss out on these benefits”
- ACE report Let’s Create: Opera and Music Theatre Analysis, March 2024.
“I like singing, it makes me feel merry.”
- Co-creation workshop 2024 young participant.
“Participating in workshops could help me when I’m older if I want to work in the music industry.”
- Co-creation workshop 2024 young participant.
“Amazing characters, set and music. We loved it and would definitely see it again!”
- Early Years Opera 2023 audience member
“Everything about it was wonderful, how the performers engaged with the audience, the beautiful music and opera singing. What a wonderful experience.”
- Early Years Opera 2023 audience member
“My children were absolutely spellbound!”
- Early Years Opera 2023 audience member
“I liked it when the daddy bear woke up because it’s super funny when he wakes up! We made our shakers yesterday in class.”
- Early Years Opera 2023 workshop participant