PRESS RELEASE
GENESIS FOUNDATION AND ROYAL OPERA HOUSE CREATE OPERAGENESIS

20 April 2005 - The Genesis Foundation and ROH2 are pleased to announce the launch of OperaGenesis, a new partnership for the development of contemporary opera based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.

With this project, Genesis and ROH2 join forces to support creative artists emerging in the field of opera. OperaGenesis will also explore new approaches to supporting the development of contemporary music theatre and build audiences for the future.

The OperaGenesis programme will be developed over the coming months by ROH2's new Head of Opera Development, John Lloyd Davies, working to ROH2's Creative Director, Deborah Bull, and with close links to the Royal Opera House's music and opera directorate.

The project aims to create a seedbed for emerging opera composers and librettists from all over the world, facilitating a supportive environment. OperaGenesis recognizes the need for more hands-on experience of the practical aspects of creating music theatre and will offer workshops and mentoring as well as access for the new creative teams to the production processes at Covent Garden.

Through the launch of a dedicated web site, OperaGenesis will create an international forum for creative artists, administrators, critics and anyone interested in new opera. OperaGenesis also intends to explore the creative possibilities inherent in other traditions and backgrounds for the development of the genre.

The opportunities that the brand new OperaGenesis programme offers will be tailored to the specific talents and unique requirements of the individuals who become involved in the programme. Information about how to apply for the programme will be posted on the Genesis and Royal Opera House web sites as soon as possible.

The Royal Opera House's ROH2 programme was created to increase the range and diversity of the art, the artists and the audiences engaging with the Royal Opera House. ROH2 provides a 'laboratory' for the Royal Opera House and its art forms, encouraging creativity, collaboration and experimentation. OperaGenesis is being created within this context.

Deborah Bull, Creative Director, ROH2, says: "My vision for ROH2 has always been to create a space within the Royal Opera House where artists can develop their craft, explore alternative ways of working and try out new ideas without fear of failure. The smaller spaces at the Royal Opera House, away from the main stage, offer an ideal arena for this type of creative risk taking, without which the art forms of ballet and opera cannot advance."

John Studzinski, Chairman and Founder of the Genesis Foundation, says: "The Genesis Foundation is excited and optimistic about its partnership with ROH2, and looks forward to working closely with Deborah Bull and her team on this new initiative. With the developments happening within ROH2 under Deborah Bull's creative directorship, and the strong commissioning programme for the main house, the Royal Opera House has proved itself to be not only an outstanding home for established masterpieces but also potentially a powerful, international force for the development of new opera. The Genesis Foundation is proud to support and enhance the developmental approach at Covent Garden through the creation of OperaGenesis."

ROH2 and Genesis together are committed through their partnership in OperaGenesis to developing opera for the future and to finding the way forward to a dynamic, lively and utterly contemporary approach dedicated to creating new works for the lyric stage.

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Genesis Foundation

For further information, please contact
Harriet Capaldi - harrietcapaldigenesisfoundation [dot] org [dot] uk
Mel Cooper - melcoopergenesisfoundation [dot] org [dot] uk

ROH2 at the Royal Opera House

For further information, please contact Sara [dot] mccarthyroh [dot] org [dot] uk