Bloom Britannia: what is it?

Bloom Britannia is a new musical project taking place on the south coast, (Hastings and Rother district). It is an original, new Peoples Opera to be fully composed and performed by us, south coast dwellers, next October in St Mary in the Castle Hastings.

Bloom Britannia: Why is it?

With Damon Albarn from Blur as patron, the full creation and performance of Bloom Britannia is promising to be a particularly enriching and even life-changing addition to South Coast music making. Anyone can take part – no matter what your singing ability, age or background. It brings the experience of live music and singing to schools, children, young people, and all sorts of community groups. It promotes well-being through singing, through building a completely new work of music-theatre together, it unites us.

The story so far:

The Arts Council, along with Sussex Giving, the Magdalen and Lasher Trust, Fairlight Trust, and Foyle Foundation have generously supported the first 30 minute segment of the opera which we performed at the De La Warr Pavilion in late April of this year. Inspired by the stories you have told and the music you have sung, Stephen Plaice and Orlando Gough are creating a comedy complete with warring councillors, hen parties, clubbers, street-sweepers, fishermen, to name just a few of the rich social canvas the south coast provides. This will be an opera, but not as you know it. The realisation of this project will bring a direct experience of music to people within our communities. People across the generations and from all kinds of backgrounds have already taken part during the first two years of development, as singers and performers, alongside professional opera singers and musicians. We have consistently heard that they felt ‘proud’, ‘invigorated’ and ‘on a high’ after taking part. In these days of cuts to arts education and funding, this can only be applauded.

Why help?

Quote from Jenny, director of Barefoot Opera:

We will be hearing very soon from the Arts Council, but they need to know that this coastal community is really behind the project. So, we are launching this crowd- funding campaign.

Quote from Jenny:

So far this project has touched our community in a great many fantastic ways. It has given many children and young people an experience of classical music and performance they will never forget. It has brought the health and well-being power of singing to hundreds of people. It has already brought diverse members of our community together.

Quote from Jenny:

Is it an opera? Is it theatre? Is it a community project? With beat-boxing, a Serbian love song, a Hen Night, a singing road-sweeper, a song about a lobster, whatever it is, Bloom Britannia promises to be fun-filled, action-packed, and full of surprises! Support this ground-breaking project now!

A Special Thank You to our Donors:

All donors, regardless of donation size, will be able to collect a uniquely designed Bloom Britannia badge, available at St Mary in the Castle on our show days, 22nd to 25th October, 2020. We will have our donors list at the ready.

£30 Donors:

are offered a guaranteed front seat on either the 23rd, 24th or 25th October. There is a limit of 30 places on each day – please email info@barefootopera.com to let us know which day you would like.

£40 Donors:

are offered a front seat and a glass of sparkling wine at our pre-show parties, on Oct 23rd, 24th, and 25th (NB October 22 is an open dress event for schools) There is a limit of 30 places on each day – please email info@barefootopera.com to let us know which day you would like.

£500 Donors:

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU! We will organise a singer from Bloom Britannia to come to your home, with a pianist or other appropriate accompaniment, to serenade you at a mutually agreed time during November-December 2020.