Experiences of homelessness, addiction and family breakdown are providing the raw material for a songwriting project initiated by Welsh National Opera, one that will be captured on film by Davina Payne, former Investigative Reporter of the Year and winner of a Special Jury Award at the Houston Film Festival.
Working in collaboration with Valley of Hope, a church-run project based in Aberdare, artists from WNO will provide a series of workshops in song writing, music making and visual arts for group participants. Some of these workshops will take place in the front rooms of peoples’ houses; others in community spaces, or venues where participants already have strong connections. Their life stories will be translated into a number of mediums, each representing a different dimension of the opera experience, be it performance or design. There are plans for performances on Valleys trains later in the year, and an on-board visual art exhibition.
Davina Payne’s 30-minute documentary, commissioned by WNO, will trace the stories of the individuals using Valley of Hope services, looking at the different ways in which opera can be relevant to a range of needs and expectations. Artists on the project include Valleys-based playwright Patrick Jones, and textiles artist Rosy Prue.
An award winning journalist and producer, Davina Payne has also won a New York Film and TV Gold Medal. A recent documentary filmed at the Young Offenders Institute Parc, Bridgend, looking at the work of Arts Intervention Manager Phil Forder, was broadcast as part of BBC Wales’ On Screen series.
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