Swansea City Opera believe in the power of opera to change lives and address many social problems that are faced in communities.
In addition to an annual tour, the Company delivers a programme of outreach and community work, which seeks to use opera as a tool for social change and personal/community development.
Since Autumn 2016, the Company has worked with four community groups in Swansea (Swansea Chinese Community Co-operative Centre, Unity in Diversity, YMCA and African Community Centre) all of whom support the migrant population (long-standing or newly arrived) within Swansea.
Each of the groups has worked to explore their own cultural heritage (dance, music, voice, storytelling, cooking and composition), and in doing so have gained a stronger understanding of their cultural backgrounds. Working with professional artists, the groups have sought to recreate and capture elements of their cultural heritage and to
share this with the wider population across Swansea. This is intended
to promote an understanding with the wider community of the cultural traditions and heritage that these groups bring to modern day Swansea.
All of the participants have bene tted from heritage training at Swansea Museum, and have gained a range of employability quali cations to help them integrate further into the local community.
The work of the groups is to be shared with the wider population at two events including celebration day at the National Waterfront Museum Swansea on 23rd May 2017, and an exhibition to run at Swansea Museum throughout July and August 2017.
Swansea City Opera are grateful for the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund towards this project.
Musical Routes 