With no prior experience of opera, he was initially shy about getting involved but soon found himself getting “better and better all the time”.
He spent the best part of 10 years between a cardboard box in a London garage and hospital due to a lack of nutrition. Photograph: Rey Trombettaīrian Ward, 64, has now been singing with the group for 11 years and said the opportunities to perform had made him a “better person”.
“Performing with Streetwise makes you feel like you’re somebody, you’re noticed.”īrian Ward said the activity helped with his depression and anxiety. “People always told me I couldn’t sing but here I’m finally finding my voice,” she said. Since finding Streetwise Opera through a recovery college six years ago, Phillippa has found a supportive network of like-minded people and has noticed improvements in her confidence and self-esteem. Whoever wants to own it can, as long as they have the right support,” he said. “If people who are homeless or live in poverty can engage with opera and take ownership over it, it sends a very powerful message about what opera can be. “At least in this country, a lot of people think that opera is not for them it’s for the elite, the rich, the people who speak several languages,” said Rey. “A lot of people walk around the streets and won’t even engage with a homeless person, and then suddenly they see them on the stage of the Southbank Centre we hope it’s going to change their perception of people who are homeless and show that they can help build a world that is more beautiful.”Ĭollaborating with world-class musicians and conductors in the field, the organisation aims to reimagine traditional repertoire in a way that makes the medium more diverse and inclusive. “It’s very common that when someone is homeless they lose their self-esteem because they’re treated in horrible ways,” says Rey Trombetta of Streetwise Opera. The initiative, introduced by Streetwise Opera, aims to inspire and empower formerly homeless people as they rebuild their lives and to change how homelessness is perceived in society. Phillippa Marlowe-Hunt said she was finding her singing voice.
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