So, You’ve Heard About The Joy Of Opera…
(If not, take a look at this page.)
Do You Want To Share Something?
If you’ve got something you’d like to share, we’d love to hear about it.
We’re open to anything. The core advice is:
Does it offer something to other people? Fun? Community? Creativity? Knowledge?
This is a fun, informal event rooted in our love of opera. Activities are very much to be favoured over discussions aimed at fixing opera. There are plenty of other forums for that, and we all know how they end up!.
Does it fit a community-oriented event?
The Joy Of Opera is designed to be participatory, with limited hierarchy. That is to say, there’s nothing where the model is “I am very clever; everybody else gets to listen in silence!” Not even if there’s four terribly clever people sitting on the stage.
You’ve probably already got a great idea. But just in case you want some guidance…
Some Examples
The following list should give a sense of the kind of thing we’re looking for. All are things we’ve seen at our trial run last year, or are expecting this year.
– Practical performance oriented activities (Queer-positive opera devising sessions; Bring Your Own Tune opera consequences…)
– Expertise sharing (PR experts sitting at a stall offering one-to-one 10 minute sessions; masterclasses in Excel…)
– Seminar-Type Events (A facilitated discussion about what audiences want, sharing ‘wish I’d known that sooner’ stories over coffee…)
– Novelty Acts (Opera therapy sessions, a massive board game simulating the opera sector…)
– The Unexpected (Who knows?!)
I Want To Be A Part Of It, And Have An Idea!
Great! Get in touch at info@tete-a-tete.org.uk. If you’re wanting to host a session, or just willing to help out on the day, let us know.
If you’re suggesting a session, it’s helpful if you can tell us:
– What is your idea for a session?
– What will people do?
– How long will a session take? (The shortest we’ve seen is 5 minutes, the longest 3 hours)
– How many people will each session need? (The lowest we’ve seen is 1, the highest 30)
– How many sessions will you want to run? (It might be 1, it might be dozens)
– Does your session have any specific needs? (e.g. access to a printer, a lot of stage lights, 76 trombones and their operators)
– What else is useful for us to know? (You’d like a bit of mentoring to make sure your session’s amazing, this session will cover the floor in soup, you’re a lovely person)
We can’t promise every session will be accepted – we’re trying to make a balanced programme of events. But we’ll be trying to cram the space full of as much great stuff as possible.
I Want To Be A Part Of It, But Don’t Know What To Do!
Great! Here’s some ideas of sessions that might fit into The Joy Of Opera that nobody’s suggested yet; why not grab one of these? Pick a random number between 1 and 10, and it’s yours.
1. When I Fell In Love With Opera
A chance for people to hang out and share when they first loved opera, and their favourite moments since.
2. Operaoke!
One pianist. The entire opera canon. And finally, your chance to sing the greatest hits, regardless of voice type, training, or talent.
3. Putting Projects Together
You’re a great producer/project manager? Invite a bunch of people to sit down and walk through how they can turn a fantasy into a step-by-step project plan.
4. The Zoo Of Opera Donors
Get 4-5 donors in a simulation of their natural, luxurious habitat. Invite people to come and observe them, and ask questions about what they’re looking for in an artist to support.
5. Instantly Instagrammable, Technically Tiktokable
Transformations into great makeup at flattering angles, from Gen Z experts, for millennials, boomers, and the technophobic.
6. The Opera Union Debate: This House Believes That Opera Is Fixable
A grand debate; does opera still need to be dragged into the 21st century? Isn’t it there already? What’s wrong with it? Can we save it, and does it need saving?
7. Private Nemorino’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
A place for everyone who doesn’t know anyone at The Joy Of Opera to meet and be lonely together.
8. Let’s Just Go For A Walk
Regent’s Park is about 10 minutes’ walk away. Maybe just go and look at the exotic waterfowl collection?
9. The Great Operaville Recipe Swap
Lots of opera workers batch-cook before a busy period. Let’s share our best recipes!
10. Opera: The Playlist: The Opera
Pick an opera. Put together a playlist of pop songs to replace each scene. Perform that portmanteau piece! (After all, La Traviata’s Brindisi is basically the same as Pink Pony Club, right?)
But really, if it’s something that fits in our informal world of limited hierarchy, collaborative celebration, we’d love to hear about it. Get in touch as described above, and we’ll look forward to talking more!