English Touring Opera

During lockdown, creativity struggled. The news was full of strife, and people were constantly reminded of global negativity. We had to reevaluate our world, and from that, we learned new ways of being creative.

Hawkwood had the honour of hosting the English Touring Opera as part of our artist residency. Their new project; Back into the World, was an opportunity to look at how that same new look at creativity worked.

“We arrived at Hawkwood with a new score to try out and a lot of questions to answer; does the piece reflect children’s experiences of the pandemic? Does the music support the drama? Is the piece the right length? And will the children leave feeling uplifted and confident?”
“Conceived as an antidote to the strict rules and anxious atmosphere of lockdown, Back into the World will be a celebratory adventure story for young audiences.”

As with all creative ventures in the time of Covid-19 their project started off virtually. It began as zoom meetings, google docs and a world of online collaboration. Then, with the help of Hawkwood, it became a creative venture in person. Proof that creativity can overcome difficulties and platforms to reach its final destination.

“Being able to get the piece on its feet with a fantastic bunch of singers and a musical director meant we could see it come to life before our eyes.”
“The time and space we were given at Hawkwood was truly transformational for us as a team. Everyone remarked on the importance of being able to get away from the outside world for a bit and focus on one project for a few days. Questions that we struggled to answer on day one gradually became more manageable as chats over tea and cake and conversations by the fire gave us the head space to figure things out. Each evening after dinner, we’d head out in the grounds for a walk as the sun set – a beautifully soothing way to wind down at the end of the day and really bond as a group.”

Credit to the members of the English Touring Opera Company, for all the wonderful things they did at Hawkwood. For those interested in finding out more about Back Into The World, visit here, and for those generally interested in the English Touring Opera Companies work visit here.

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