Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th August, 12.00 & 14.30
Scottish Opera
Genesis
The interactive workshops have been designed by our team of singers, composer, choreographer and designer lasting about 30 minutes followed by 15-20 minutes of feedback discussion.
Synopsis
SensoryO is designed to introduce toddlers to live performance and to help develop their linguistic skills in an informal and intimate environment and will tour Scotland from May 2012.
www.scottishopera.org.uk
Music: Rachel Drury
Choreographer: Linda Payne
Designer: Ali Maclaurin
Singers: Darren Abrahams, Gloria Ellis and Alan McKenzie
Rachel Drury: Composer
Rachel is a freelance musician working predominantly in the field of music education. She has delivered education projects for various organisations including Scottish Opera, Children’s Classic Concerts and the RSAMD and is currently working towards a PhD researching music and language development in the early years. Rachel’s performance credits include BBC SSO, RSNO, Scottish Ballet, Scottish Concert Orchestra and RSNO Big Band.
Linda Payne: Choreographer
Linda has worked for 16 years as a specialist dance teacher for children and adults with disabilities. She trained at Northumbria University to gain her BA Honours in Dance. She has taught a wide variety of workshops for people with autism, profound disabilities and language impairments. She has also choreographed with Scottish Opera on several projects including BabyO, has worked on the Tron pantomimes and now runs an inclusive dance company called Waterbaby, which is providing dance access for people with physical disabilities.
Ali Maclaurin: Designer
Ali has been designing for over twenty years particularly in physical theatre and young people’s work, with companies such as Hull Truck, Belgrade TiE, Theatre Peckham, the Shadow Syndicate, TAG and a variety of projects with Scottish Opera. Ali also teaches part-time at Adam Smith College, Kirkcaldy.
Darren Abrahams: Tenor
Darren has appeared in opera around the world, working for such companies as ENO, Scottish Opera, WNO, Wexford Festival Opera and the Young Vic. He is a coach and therapist specialising in trauma. He regularly runs education projects for children and adults and is co-founder of Circular Sounds, a transformational training programme using creative arts. Darren is also Projects Director of the Edward Starr Charitable Trust, which provides funding for projects to Help Children Smile internationally.
Gloria Ellis: Soprano
Gloria graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music where she was a finalist in the International Young Singer Competition and was then awarded a scholarship for her Postgraduate studies at Trinity College of Music, London. She was a member of the chorus of Scottish Opera from 1997 to 2005. During that time and since, she has worked closely with Scottish Opera’s Education team, taking part in many exciting projects.
Alan McKenzie: Bass
Alan has worked extensively in both musical theatre and opera. Opera engagements for Scottish Opera include: Madama Butterfly,
Lucia di Lammermoor, Falstaff, I Puritani, The Two Widows, Manon and BabyO. Musical theatre experience includes: The Phantom of the Opera (UK tour and West End), Joseph (UK tour), Sweeney Todd (Dundee Rep and Royal Festival Hall) and Into the Woods (Edinburgh Festival). He works regularly with Scottish Opera’s Education team as a singer/drama specialist all over Scotland and is looking forward to his trip to New Zealand with BabyO!