Transcript OpenCov Project - University of Leeds

OPENCOV
OPERATIC ENCOUNTERS :
COMMON VOICES
PRESENTATION
APRIL 2010
A cultural collaboration which brings
together opera organisations and higher
education institutions from Europe and
China and originated in the DARE
partnership between the University of
Leeds and Opera North.
I
In 2006, the University of Leeds and Opera North entered a formal contracted
collaborative venture with four objectives:
•
to be a leader in the creative and intellectual life of the city, with an impact felt
regionally, nationally and internationally;
•
to produce programmes, events and publications that are beyond the reach of either
partner acting alone;
•
to build connections between the classical and contemporary arts, and between the
arts and contemporary society;
•
to engage new participants in creativity and academic achievement.
This programme has two distinct but overlapping faces, one public, and the other in
house. These are unified by three core themes – knowledge, skill and performance.
Each strand represents a facet of the collaboration and interacts with the others to
generate a unique creative and intellectual force. Activities range from community
projects to focused research. The programme is conceived as developing initially
over four years, with the partnership established by 2010. It has now been
determined to renew the agreement for a further four years.
OPENCOV
The two year project, funded by the
European Cultural Co-operation with Third
Countries programme, aims to form long
lasting partnerships and promote cultural
understanding between Europe and China
through workshops, performance, and
research.
Project Meetings
(there was also interaction between meetings to give the project a total of
eleven episodes)
• One – planning by partner contacts Shanghai, three
days in September 2008
• Two – workshops and investigations Shanghai, seven
days in January 2009
• Three- workshops and investigations Leeds, seven days
in April 2009
• Four- workshops and investigations Bregenz, four days
in August 2009
• Five - workshops and investigations Shanghai, seven
days in April 2010
• Six – where next ? partner contact meeting Shanghai
September 2010
• Project Members
• Lead partner : University of Leeds : School of
Performance & Cultural Industries, School of
Music , Institute of Communications Studies,
Department of East Asian Studies.
• European partners : Opera North , UK;
Sibelius Academy Finland; Bregenz Opera
Festival, Austria.
• Chinese partner : Shanghai Theatre Academy
(all departments including Opera College)
Project Organisation : CAT
There are two interlocked groups in the project.
The core artistic team (CAT) comprises three
UK artists and three Chinese artists . In the final
whole group chapter, the CAT have been joined
for some sessions by a composer staff member
of the Opera College, and head of the STA
Directing Department, Professor Lu Ang.
Professor Lu Ang was a visiting Professor at the
University of Leeds, August – December 2009
Project Organisation : CCG
Their work is set in the context of parallel
exploration of the cultural context of opera
within Europe and China history,
development,
education,
business,
management,
politics,
transmission,
audiences by the cultural contexts
group (CCG). There is a documentation
team drawn from the CCG which is
recording the creative process of the CAT
and the interaction of the artists.
CAT Theme
A recurrent European and Chinese folk tale
– a baby, two women claiming to be the
baby’s mother and a judge who must rule
between them. Their work in progress will
be shared with the partner and with groups
of students in Leeds and Shanghai.
Cultural Contexts Group Focus
The Cultural Contexts Group
is
establishing networks and sharing trends
in the social and cultural industries role of
the art form ‘opera’ in China and EU. It
will discuss
findings in progress in
meetings
with
staff
from
partner
organisations in each chapter.
Going Public
The final outcome of the project will be
disseminated via academic and
professional networks, publications, web
site, a DVD and a symposium in February
2011.