SENsory
Lewisham Community Opera
As part of Lewisham's recognition as the London Borough of Culture in 2022, Music and Theatre for All created a site-specific opera co-created by the community and professionals. This project involved engaging local schools in the Lewisham area, with Engage Here delivering ten workshops to Special Education Needs (SEN) classes at Brent Knoll School.
Mirroring the main Urban Opera, we aimed to guide this version through a similar creative development process. This involved collaborating with students to construct a world of characters, colors, sets, and emotions that reflected their unique perspectives on Lewisham. These ideas would culminate in a carnival-like performance at the project's finale.
Week One focused on discussions exploring questions like: What is the sound of Lewisham? How can sound and design intersect? What do you love? What do you worry about? In week 2, we translated these discussions into figurative and abstract interpretations through drawing. Starting with mark-making to sounds, we progressed to designing environments that could serve as sets and characters for the stage.
Weeks Four and Five were dedicated to puppet creation. Each student received a similar base, made from twisted paper, which they personalized with fabric inspired by costumes and colors from previous weeks. Some students painted the bodies or heads of their puppets to further establish their identities. Movement remained central to every workshop; we regularly engaged in dancing and playing music. With the introduction of puppets, students gained a new outlet for expression, an extension of themselves, and explored how their creations might move to sound. We documented the process through film and photography, adding a layer of performance that the students enjoyed. However, we have taken care not to show the students' faces on this page.
In the final week, both classes performed their versions of the carnival. Alongside the puppets, maracas and tambourines were incorporated, and we received support from Tom Guthrie, Artistic Director of Music and Theatre for All, on the violin, and local pianist Jack from St John's Music. It was a highly expressive session with students singing, dancing, and creatively utilizing the corridors as entry and exit points to the classroom stage.
