OPENCOV

OPERATIC ENCOUNTERS : COMMON VOICES

SHANGHAI EXPO 2010

• Susan Daniels (Leeds University)

• Daniel Knapp (Bregenzer Festspiele)

• Li Ruru (Leeds University)

• Lu Ang (Shanghai Theatre Academy)

• Xu Jiali (Shanghai Theatre Academy)

WHAT IS OPENCOV?

A two year project, funded by the European Cultural

Co-operation with Third Countries programme brings together opera organisations and higher education institutions from Europe and China.

It aims to form long lasting partnerships and promote cultural understanding between Europe and China through workshops, performance, and research

It originated in the DARE partnership between the University of Leeds and Opera North

PROGRAMME

• Stage 1 – planning by partner contacts Shanghai, three days in September 2008

• Stage 2 - workshops and investigations Shanghai, seven days in January 2009

• Stage 3 - workshops and investigations Leeds, seven days in April 2009

• Stage 4 - workshops and investigations Bregenz, four days in August 2009

• Stage 5 - workshops and investigations Shanghai, seven days in April 2010

• Stage 6 – where next ? partner contact meeting Shanghai September 2010

WHO IS OPENCOV?

European Partners • University of Leeds: School of Performance & Cultural

Industries, School of Music , Institute of Communications Studies, Department of East Asian Studies.

• Opera North , UK; • Sibelius Academy Finland; • Bregenzer Festspiele, Austria.

Chinese partner Shanghai Theatre Academy (all departments including

Opera College)

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS• We have 32,800 students from over 130 countries • With 8,800 staff from 102 nationalities we are the third largest employer in Leeds • From Arabic to Zoology we offer - 560 undergraduate & 300 postgraduate courses • We have the highest number of 17 National Teaching Fellows • The local community benefits from our 2,000 student volunteers• Ranked 99th in the THES-QS world rankings in October 2009 • Arts & Humanities rankled in 49th in the QS world rankings September 2010• Part of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN)• Member of the Russell Group of research-intensive Universities we value practice led

research, the interaction of all subjects with industry and impact• Won more environmental awards than any other UK university, including the 2009

Green Gown Award for Continuous Improvement in relation to our transport plan

• Uniquely linked to Opera North through the DARE partnership.

OPERA NORTH

• Award winning National opera company based in Leeds & tours to cities of, Newcastle, Nottingham and Manchester

• Presents both famous and lesser known work, and new commissions.

• 9/10 operas on the main stage each year- a totally of 112 performances each year

• Own orchestra which also gives 20-40 symphonic concerts annually• Projects and education with 200-300 other events per year. • Company employs 160 people permanently. In season there are

300-350 including orchestra, • ￡ 15million turnover per annum – 70% public funding, 30%

generated through box office and fund raising.• Linked to University of Leeds through DARE

SIBELIUS ACADEMY

• Finland’s specialist Music University, including degrees in Arts Management

• Closely integrated into the city of Helsinki - physically part of the newly extended Helsinki Music Centre which is open to all as a concert venue and meeting point open to all with concert halls, exhibition halls, cafes, shop and access to the Sibelius Academy Library.

• The Music Centre is the home for the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

• Because these entities support each other, they are able to provide a wealth of inspiration to all sectors of art.

BREGENZER FESTSPIELE

PROJECT ORGANISATION 1

There are two interlocked groups in the project.

The core artistic team (CAT) comprised three UK artists and three Chinese artists . In stage 5 in Shanghai April 2010, the CAT were joined by a composer staff member of the Opera College, and Head of the STA Directing Department, Professor Lu Ang. Professor Lu Ang was a visiting Professor at the University of Leeds, August – December 2009

CAT CHALLENGE

an exploration of

‘how far professionals can enter into another’s tradition at the level of artistic discipline, emotion and bodily movement’.

CATS’ THEME

The exploration of a recurrent European and Chinese folk tale – a baby, two women claiming to be the baby’s mother and a judge who must rule between them.

Their work in progress was shared with partner organisations at all stages and with groups of students in Leeds and Shanghai.

Joe Townsend (composer & collaborative artist)

• I have had the opportunity to explore a range of ways of working with a group of highly skilled Chinese artists from a discipline different from my own alongside a some truly inspiring collaborators from Europe.  I

• tIT was an enthusiasm to embrace those differences is what united us along with a shared desire to make work. • Language, training and the approach to producing Chinese Opera have some similarities to Western Art music

and both disciplines bring a vast heritage to the rehearsal space. • At times we stuck closely to our traditions and at others we took the risk of setting aside our years of training to try

out different approaches. We deliberately chose initially to work without a director at the outset as this would force us to make decisions and question each other’s and indeed our own practice rather than adhering to one person’s interpretive vision.

• As a member of the European team I felt that we led the proceedings more in the earlier stages of the collaboration, as we were more experienced at this form of work, however as the chapters progressed the Chinese team were making clear and strong statements about both process and desired outcome. It was clear that they had an expectation of a finished piece and that the final showing was a shared piece of work.

• My love for Chinese Opera and the potential for a really significant future artistic collaboration with Western music theatre have led me to want to turn this short fling into a more lasting relationship.  Therefore I will be studying for a doctorate in inter-cultural collaborative practice at the same time as forming a small and flexible international company to make some truly stunning Opera.

• Some of the expertise from the Cultural Contexts group will prove invaluable in terms of experience and knowledge of both the Chinese and Western Arts setup.

• I want to make intimate Operas that can be enjoyed by both Western and Chinese audiences alike. I would like to start by exploring the Orpheus myth, which has some resonances in the Chinese opera canon. What better than a piece about the beauty of music and the power to enchant with music.

•We, unlike Orpheus however, will only be looking forward.

PROJECT ORGANISATION 2

The other group is the Cultural Contexts Group (CCG). They undertook a parallel exploration of the cultural context of opera within Europe and China - history, development, education, business, management, politics, transmission, audiences. A documentation team drawn from the CCG recorded the creative process of the CAT and the interaction of the artists.

CCG MISSION

The Cultural Contexts Group focused on establishing networks and sharing trends in the social and cultural industries role of the art form ‘opera’ in China and EU.

Words from CCG

• Opera North

• University of Leeds

• Sibelius Academy / Helsinki City

• Bregenzer Festspiele

OPERA NORTH Dominic Gray My name is Dominic Gray . I’m Projects Director at Opera North, Leeds.

The most fascinating aspect of the project from Opera North’s point of view has been observing artists who have been trained and have grown up in very different musical theatrical environments and contexts trying to find a shared language between them that they can use and make a new work with. I think it has taken the four encounters the artists have had ranging from between a couple of days and a week at the most, Now , at the end of the project, they are in a position where they have the language, a shared platform to collaborate in a serious, deep and meaningful way. So the challenge for us as the organisers and project managers of this obviously is to look at how we take forward to make something new, something world hasn't seen before, a genuine collaboration between the cultures. I think to make this really really effective it would be great at this point as well to look back at the ancient traditions of western opera and particularly the ancient traditions of classical Chinese opera and try to invoke or evoke some of that history, some of that depth of meaning that goes back centuries and bring that to bear on the making of contemporary work for the 21st century.

(interview transcript 20.09.10)

Sibelius/Helsinki Timo CantellDuring the project I was Professor and leader of the MA Arts Management course at Sibelius Academy.I now have a post leading ‘Urban Facts’ the research team of the City of Helsinki.

In both roles I am interested in the: notion of transferable skills, the development of the creative and cultural economy and entrepreneurship.

The meetings in April 2010 firstly with the Deputy District Governor learning about drama valley and the interaction of city government with University and secondly the meeting with young graduate companies from STA were particularly interesting.

In opera the country of Finland – where more new operas are written every year than anywhere else in Europe – has a new project called Opera by You 2012 as part of the Savonlinna Opera Festival , where by ways of an Internet community cooperation anybody can take part in the project be it in composing, stage design, lyrics etc.

Also in 2012 Helsinki will be the World Capital of Design. The creative sector is re-shaping Helsinki’s economy and enhancing the citizens’ quality of life. Design seen from a broad perspective . In city planning, architecture, industrial design and service ,design plays an integral role in the development of Helsinki, city services and consumer products. It will be interesting to see what connections between us all can add to that year’s events.

OUTCOMES

• Extensive personal and professional networks• Website• DVD documenting the work of the performance process• Publications• Work with university students and youth groups in

partner countries• Work with cultural policy makers, creatives, arts

managers, performance professionals, entrepreneurs, educationalists

• Symposium 15th January 2011 in Leeds• Cross – institutional agreements

AND WHAT’S NEXT?

Common Grounds

Research & Development

- Education and training

- Funding and sponsorship

- Marketing and audience

- Tradition and innovation

- Management and consultancy

- Creating new performance work

IDEAS

• Design projects : applied technology; standards of performance; nature of creativity

• Staff and student exchange• Seminars, workshops and conferences• Incubation & mentoring of young independent arts

companies• Urban development • Networks of individuals and organisations• Arts to Business and Business to Arts• Taking risks