Chapter 3

Streetwise Opera
Streetwise Opera was founded by Matt Peacock in 2002. As a former social worker
and homeless shelter volunteer at The Passage in London he was motivated to make a
change after a resident read out a quote from a politician in the paper: ‘the homeless are the
people you step over when coming out of the opera.’.1
The first production he put on was The Little Prince at Covent Garden with a
homeless cast. ‘It was an immense success, creating transformational impacts in the lives of
the people involved, as well as receiving great acclaim from the public.’.2
(https://streetwiseopera.org.history/) 11.04.23 Following its success, music workshops were
developed and set up in homeless centres. There have been over 12 opera productions
across Newcastle, Gateshead, Manchester, Nottingham and London as well as weekly
workshops.3 Appendices Ci, lists the total productions to date.
Streetwise opera run a programme of singing and creative workshops in London,
Manchester and Nottingham, providing homeless people and those that have experienced
homelessness a place to rebuild themselves, their social network and their self-worth.
Streetwise Opera is an opera company that enables people who’ve
experienced homelessness to find inspiration and empowerment while
they rebuild their lives and identities. We support participants to
develop as creative people and, as we amplify their voices, change
how society views homelessness.4
Streetwise Opera have core values which support the work they do. The detailed
values can be found in Appendices Cii, but the key words are listed below:5

 Ambition
 Creativity
 Collaboration
 Generosity
 Always learning
 Fun
 Staying True

1
‘Our History — Streetwise Opera’, 5 May 2019, https://streetwiseopera.org/history/,
https://streetwiseopera.org/history/.
2

3
‘Streetwise Opera - Giving Homeless People a Voice — Shorthand Social’, accessed 10 April 2023, 11 January
2016 https://social.shorthand.com/thisisgoodwork/3Cn1lJCphOY/streetwise-opera-giving-homeless-people-a-
voice.html.
4
‘About Us — Streetwise Opera’, accessed 11 April 2023, 7 December 2018,
https://streetwiseopera.org/about/, https://streetwiseopera.org/about/.
5
‘Our Values — Streetwise Opera’, accessed 11 April 2023, 27 August 2019,
https://streetwiseopera.org/values/, https://streetwiseopera.org/values/.
 Streetwise Opera believe that music is a universal language that has the power to bring
people together. It can help overcome social anxieties and has both physical and mental
health benefits. It helps them become part of a supportive and creative community.6

The experiences that I've had through Streetwise you wouldn't get
anywhere else. We don't even have to audition, and we've worked with
the English Touring Opera Company. We can all now say that we've
worked with professional opera singers, and not many people get that
chance.7
Streetwise Opera’s Theory of Change document that can be found in
Appendice’s Ciii, it sets out it’s short, medium and long term aims for
homelessness and opera, covering; changing societies perception of both
homelessness and opera, a greater acceptance of homelessness being
developed, and improving the quality of life for the homeless.
In their 2019 – 2020 Annual Review Streetwise opera reports that in the
short term 95% of performers reported a positive change of mood and 96% a
feeling of sense of achievement through their participation in the workshops.
Medium term 91% of performers had improved self-confidence and 86% felt
more confident about the future. Finally, in the long term 94% felt creative and
87% of performers had greater stability in their lives.8
Performances
Streetwise Opera’s first commissioned opera was Whirlwind in 2006,
written by Will Todd and performed in Gateshead by a cast consisting of 3
professional singers and homeless performers.9

(whirlwind, performance)

6
‘Impact — Streetwise Opera’, accessed 11 April 2023, 5 May 2019, https://streetwiseopera.org/impact/,
https://streetwiseopera.org/impact/.
7
‘Streetwise Impact Report 2019/20’, pg. 7, accessed 11 April 2023, https://www.streetwiseopera.org/wp-
content/uploads/2020/07/Streetwise-Impact-Report-2019-20-Exec-Summary.pdf.
8
‘Streetwise Impact Report’, pg.6, accessed 11 April 2023,
https://www.streetwiseopera.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Streetwise-Impact-Report-2019-20-Exec-
Summary.pdf.
9
‘Whirlwind — Streetwise Opera’, accessed 11 April 2023, 18 August 2019,
https://streetwiseopera.org/production/whirlwind/, https://streetwiseopera.org/production/whirlwind/.
 Re:Sound – Voices of our Cities, has been Streetwise opera’s latest and possibly
biggest project. A year long project from April 2022 to March 2023 working with the homeless
and those affected by homelessness in Manchester, Nottingham and London. It comprised of
nine micro-operas celebrating the history and cultures of the three cities. It brought together
100 participants in workshops across the three cities, alongside the BBC concert Orchestra,
singers The Sixteen and theatre company 1927.10

Professional composers worked with participants from each city to create the operas.
Performances took place at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, the Nottingham Playhouse
and The Blue Room at London’s Southbank, the festival culminated with a grand finale
featuring all the Streetwise performers at the South Bank centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall.
‘Re:sound is an uplifting operatic journey to rediscover our cities through the eyes and voices
of those who’ve been homeless.’11

12
‘I was homeless, opera gave me focus and a family’: the magic of Streetwise Opera’13

Analysis / discussion
 Specific community
 Broken down perception and barriers of both homeless and opera
 Fits definition community opera
 Look at what Jonathan Dove says, see if supports model – he has written a lot of
community operas
 Use articles the telegraph, guardian and BBc quotes streetwise
10
‘Re:Sound – An Operatic Journey That Will Leave You Feeling Inspired and Proud — Streetwise Opera’,
Accessed 11 April 2023, 5 February 2023, https://streetwiseopera.org/resound/,
https://streetwiseopera.org/resound/.
11
‘Re:Sound – An Operatic Journey That Will Leave You Feeling Inspired and Proud — Streetwise Opera’,
Accessed 11 April 2023, 5 February 2023, https://streetwiseopera.org/resound/,
https://streetwiseopera.org/resound/.
12
‘Re:Sound – Voices of Our Cities’, accessed 11 April 2023,
https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/classical-music/resound-voices-our-cities.
13
‘Streetwise Opera’s Re:Sound: “I Was Homeless, Opera Gave Me Focus and a Family”’, accessed 11 April
2023, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opera/what-to-see/streetwise-operas-resound-homeless-opera-gave-
focus-family/.
 Youth opportunities
 pride themselves community involvement
 Refer back to aspects of introduction how what ON does supports what previously
stated, or doesn’t
 Refer to info in appendices to support argument – there is a huge amount of content
to support
 2 articles links given in stuff for main discussion may also be useful