How We Work

Hello artists!

Thank you for reading about how we work with artists in Learning and Participation (L&P). This page gives information to Librettists, Composers, Directors, Assistant Directors, Designers and Stage Managers on how to work with us. If you are a singer, please visit the auditions page for information on how to get in touch.

What do we do?

English Touring Opera reach over 50,000 people per year with four mainstage productions and two specially commissioned operas for children. The L&P operas are comprised of one opera for Key Stage 2 (7-11 year olds) and one opera for audiences with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). These operas tour alongside the main stage productions, with singers and instrumentalists performing across both productions. The L&P operas are thematically linked to the main stage operas and connected to the UK national curriculum. For example, The Great Stink explores the Victorian period of history and the geographic issue of polluted waterways.

We are passionate about providing high-quality musical experiences to children across England, many of whom have never seen an opera before. A core value of L&P operas is making them with and for our intended target audience, which means we often do research and development (R&D) in schools during the writing and composing process, so young people can contribute to the songwriting and story development.

What are we looking for?

When commissioning librettists and composers, we look for artists whose work we are excited about and can see being successful in a school setting. It is likely that we will have worked with the commissioned librettist or composer before, either through a workshop or alternative project, although in some cases we will commission based on previous experience alone.

When looking for directors and designers, it is common that we will have seen your work before and be excited about what you could bring to the project. It is likely that you will have experience making opera or theatre for children, or a demonstratable passion in this area. In some cases, we find directors or designers through recommendation or a recruitment process.

When booking Stage Managers, we look for confident, organised and reliable individuals that are happy to drive a van! You may have a degree in Stage Management, or be a freelancer with a varied practice. We often advertise for Stage Management roles, and always welcome introductory emails to either bradley.travis@englishtouringopera.org.uk or maddy.barnes@englishtouringopera.org.uk

Do you run open calls for creative roles?

Yes! We are committed to running a minimum of one open call per year for a creative role on an L&P opera. In the past, these have been for a librettist and a director. The open calls are a fantastic way for us to meet you and get to know your work. All open calls will be advertised on our Current Vacancies page.

How do I get in touch with the team?

The L&P team is made up of Bradley Travis (Head of Learning and Participation) and Maddy Barnes (Learning and Participation Assistant Producer). If you would like to get in touch with us, please email us on either bradley.travis@englishtouringopera.org.uk or maddy.barnes@englishtouringopera.org.uk to arrange an introductory meeting. In this meeting, we will get to know you and your work, and discuss the L&P programme in more detail. Although we cannot guarantee commissions or opportunities from this meeting, it is a chance for us to get to know you and your work.

We particularly encourage introductory meeting requests from disabled people and people from global majority backgrounds, as these groups are currently under-represented in the cultural sector.