Helenswood Academy opera featured on BBC

Thursday 10th July 2014

ARK’s Helenswood Academy has put together their own opera production, in coorperation with the Royal Opera House.

The production was featured in a recent news story on the BBC’s South East Today programme. The story can be viewed on iPlayer here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b047zvx5/south-east-today-09072014 starting at 22 minutes, 15 seconds.

The opera is called 'Brave enough to be yourself' and is being performed on 10th and 11th July at Helenswood Academy. It was written and produced, as well as performed by students of the school, which has a speciality in performing arts.

The opera is based on the World War I dairies of the grandfather of the school’s music teacher.

“They’re doing absolutely everything,” said Royal Opera House director Tom Guthrie in the BBC report. “For their teamwork, for their confidence, it’s been proven to be enormously helpful, and they have a great time doing it.”