Details

In 2008, award-winning opera composer Jonathan Dove went on the Cape Farewell voyage to the Arctic and witnessed first hand how climate change is affecting the environment and us. As a warming planet affects communities across the world, Dove s opera is being written for simultaneous, live performance in London, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town - and the libretto by Alasdair Middleton will draw directly from the personal experiences of people in each place who have been forced to move from their homes as a result of climate change. The opera has been commissioned by Somerset House Trust as part of World Stages London, and is being developed by creative teams, co-producers and their communities in each city, through an extended process of collaboration, dialogue, workshops and rehearsals that build on a new approach to communication technology. During May 2012, Somerset House is commissioning visual artist Sam Collins to create an installation that invites audiences to explore the stories drawn from these communities. This will be accompanied by a series of talks, seminars and screenings as part of the World Stages London season.

Creatives/Company

Author(s): Jonathan Dove, Alasdair Middleton
Producer(s): Somerset House, Opera Group, King's College London