Seaglass Arts created this gorgeous show for infants and their carers touring to Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg) and Philharmonie Luxembourg. This show was originally created with Sam Glazer and Zoe Palmer with Spitalfields Music's Musical Rumpus program. Directed by Freya, Story and libretto by Zoe Palmer, Music by Bach, Arrangement and Musical Direction by Sam Glazer, Design by Sophia Lovell Smith. Photos thanks to ClaudiaHöhne
Once Upon A Whispering Wood
Flock Theatre Makers second show played 48 times across the festive period at Theatre Royal Brighton to young families. Story by Emma Higham, Written by Laura Mugridge, Composed and Directed by Freya, designed by Sophia Lovell Smith.
Choir With No Name
Another glorious year selling out Brighton Dome (1500 seats!) for Choir With No Names Big Christmas Sing Along! Collaborating with the gorgeous Alice Russell. Huge thanks to Simon Way for the photos.
Changemakers - Glyndebourne Youth Opera
Since April 2023, Freya has been working with local 14-19 year olds in the sussex area exploring how arts can be used as a vehicle for change. Explore artivism and issues surrounding climate and social justice, the group will continue to meet regularly until a sharing event at Glyndebourne in April 2024.
Tiger in The Garden
Tiger in The Gardenenjoyed a national tour to regional venues including Tobacco Factory, Royal Opera House, Jacksons Lane, Cambridge Junction and more. Not only did Freya devise and compose this work for her company Flock Theatre Makers but she also worked as Music Director on the tour.
The Sapling
Royal Opera House Youth Other Company perform The Sapling at The Linbury. The culmination of months of work with Freya crafting the story of this piece with the young people focussing in on their interests to create a piece about social justice, wealth distribution and our changing climate. Directed by Emma Doherty, Words by Jonathan Ainscough and music by Johnathan Brigg. Photos by ôlyvon.
Royal Opera House - Create and Sing
Freya in action working with young people from Thetford in preparation for their Hansel and Gretel in Thetford Forest. Credit Veronika Ward.
Choir With No Name - Brighton Dome 2022
The Choir with No Name returned to Brighton Dome with special guests SK Shlomo and Sambaoke to celebrate the widest and wildests of Christmas'. Photo credit to Simon Way.
There's A Tiger in the Garden - Tour 2022
Flock Theatre Makers remount There's A Tiger in The Garden for 2022 with sold out shows across Sussex as well as launching a pilot studio tour at Theatre Royal, Brighton, Edinburgh Book Festival and Wiltshire Music Centre.
In Search Of Aether
Working with Studio2909 and Year 7 students from Riverside School to create a music video about the right to breathe clean air. Supporting schools serving communities with deep health inequalities to embed cross-curricular creative learning around urgent climate, environment and health issues that disproportionately impact young people's lives.
The Night Vigil
Pupils from Warren Primary School, Tilbury Pioneer Academy and Deneholm Primary School explored the Evening Prayer from the opera Hansel and Gretel, before devising a performance welcoming Little Amal to the UK as part of The Walk.
There's A Tiger In The Garden
Flock Theatre Makers premier their first show, based on the award winning book by Lizzy Stewart.
The Magical Music Tree
Laughton Primary School tackle Mahogany Opera's Snappy Opera as part of Villages Music Festival.
Ospedale
A Filament Theatre three song extract from GOSH Arts commissioned "Ospedale" to celebrated the opening of the new Sight and Sound Centre at Great Ormond Street. Hospital Featuring the voices of Jonathan Andrew Hume, Sandra Marvin, Osnat Schmool, Christopher Staines and Freya Wynn-Jones, illustrations by Alison Hartley, music production by Tom Stone.
Pier To Pier
Freya worked with 50 community chorus members over zoom as well as 6 professional voices to record an arrangement of Jocelyn Pook's Blow The Wind Southerly for RAPT Theatre's work Pier To Pier for Brighton Festival.
In December of 2020, amidst a global pandemic, Freya and fellow theatre maker Emma Higham collaborated to create the Advent Sessions. Fifteen socially distanced doorstep and window gigs were designed for closest neighbours to spread joy and togetherness in the heart of Brighton.
Walk Out Of Yourself
Part-diary, part-drama, Walk Out of Yourself was co-created by Freya's company Voicings Collective in a series of daily walks and ensemble rehearsals during the lockdown of March 2020.
The Linden Tree
Streetwise Opera commissioned a lockdown digital performance of Schubert's The Linden Tree. Featuring Roderick Williams, Christopher Glynn, The Genesis Sixteen, The Brodsky Quartet and Streetwise Opera performers from across the country
How It Came To Be
An ENO Youth Program devised in three days and shared on the Coliseum Stage. Exploring their production, Carmen, the piece explored the events that lead Don Jose to his outcome.
This special night of music featured hundreds of performers onstage to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and celebrate the power of uniting with one another through the voice. Bringing together choirs and musicians from migrant, refugee and marginalised backgrounds. Photo credit Mike Johnston.
Choir With No Name #ThisIsMe
Featuring our four choirs from London, Brighton, Liverpool and Birmingham, The Choir With No Name released their first single to coincide with World Homeless Day 10/10/19. Produced by AWAL as part of Kobalt Music here is our version of the global hit This Is Me from The Greatest Showman.
Not Drowning But Waving
A collaboration with RAPT Theatre company and The Choir With No Name, Brighton, Freya worked alongside director Emma Higham and composer James Redwood to devise and deliver new music for theatre R&D Not Drowning But Waving performed at ACCA. The projected featured community singers from The Choir With No Name and The Dawn Chorus. Photos by Ian Greenland
Snappy Opera's
Mahogany Opera Group bring their ten minute snappy operas to primary schools across the country. 2019 saw the beginning of the Snappy Opera Festival. Freya has worked with them as director, facilitation trainer and programme consultant.
Carmen: Frailty, Fire and Freedom
Streetwise Opera explores the passion and exuberance of Bizet's much-loved opera Carmen. This performance marks the end of Streetwise Opera's summer residency at the Royal Opera House, which explored Barrie Kosky's production of Carmen.
Photos by: Rey Trombetta
It Takes A Village and Singing Our Lives
It Takes A Village was devised using operatic repertoire for the Royal Opera House#ThurrockCommunityChorus in response to the theme of 'Generations: You, me and those who came before' for' #refugeeweek2019. Performed initially at The Southbank Centre and Tilbury Carnival as a joint event with Singing Our Lives which Freya also directed. Below are pictures of the piece's revival at the Opera House's Paul Hamlyn Hall as well as images from the Singing Our Lives event at Tilbury Carnival: featuring The Royal Opera House Community Chorus (ITAV), Sing For Freedom, Mind and Soul, The Mixed Up Chorus and The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians.
A poem by Chrys Salt set to music by Kat Gillham. Soprano - Freya Wynn-Jones, piano - Martin Neill, film and artwork - Ken Smyth.
Raise Your Voice: Cesare
Celebrating it's ten year anniversary, this year saw Glyndebourne's Ebert room transform into Cleo's Cabaret for our Raise Your Voice project. Celebrating the David McVicar production and our work championing creative opportunities for people living with dementia and their carers, the project ran for five consecutive weeks and featured young musicians from the Royal Academy of Music.
Over ten weeks Magic Me brought together Year 4 children from Clara Grant Primary School and older people in the local community. Working with director and singer, Freya Wynn-Jones, visual artist, Ben Connors, and theatre designer, Amanda Mascarenhas, the group explored routes, navigations and maps into the discovery of our own identity, creating seven 3D artworks. Photos by Samia Meah
A Day Dawns
Brian Slater Photography, featuring The Royal Opera House Youth Opera Company. In her role as Associate Artist of the ROH YOC, Freya devised and directed A Day Dawns with members of the company. Performed at The Bridewell Theatre, the project collaborated with composer Tom Floyd and chorus conductor Ashley Beauchamp. The piece was designed by Kitty Callister.
Earth Makes No Sound
Filament Theatre Chorus. Performed at Tete a Tete Opera Festival in August 2018. Freya was a member of the FTC and ensemble. photos by Claire Shovelton. The Place, London, 18 August 2018.
Earth Makes No Sound
Filament Theatre Chorus. Performed at Tete a Tete Opera Festival in August 2018. Freya was a member of the FTC and ensemble. photos by Claire Shovelton. The Place, London, 18 August 2018.
Earth Makes No Sound
Filament Theatre Chorus. Performed at Tete a Tete Opera Festival in August 2018. Freya was a member of the FTC and ensemble. photos by Claire Shovelton. The Place, London, 18 August 2018.
Earth Makes No Sound
Filament Theatre Chorus. Performed at Tete a Tete Opera Festival in August 2018. Freya was a member of the FTC and ensemble. photos by Claire Shovelton. The Place, London, 18 August 2018.
Earth Makes No Sound
Filament Theatre Chorus. Performed at Tete a Tete Opera Festival in August 2018. Freya was a member of the FTC and ensemble. photos by Claire Shovelton. The Place, London, 18 August 2018.
Lichfield Festival 2017
Noye's Fludde
Working with Lichfield Cathedral School's Young Voices Program and CHETS to bring Noye's Fludde to this years Lichfield Festival. Performed in Lichefield Cathedral. Photo Credit Jonathan Tritton.
English National Opera
Stand As One
Over three days, young people aged 13-19 worked together to explore the themes of Phillip Glass' Sathagraha and Gandhi's creation of non-violent protest.
Spitalfields Music Open Call Program
MotherDaughter
Recognised as one of Spitalfields Music 2018 Open Call Artists, Freya went about setting up Mother Daughter, a cross-genre vocal ensemble exploring composing within the ensemble.
Helios Collective
hunger
As part of Helios Collective's Formation Series, Freya directed the world premier of hunger by Joanna Ward and Ryan Hay.
Voicings Collective
Rough For Opera
In October, 2017, Voicings Collective shared their work in progress Hear Them Roar at Second Movement's Rough for Opera. Filmed by Josh Buckler and Edited by Morgan Vine.
English National Opera
Towards Another World
A short film of ENO's Baylis project which was mounted at the Victoria and Albert Museum in November 2018 as part of the Opera, Passion, Politics Exhibition.
Voicings Collective
Voicings - a work in progress
As part of her own work to explore composing within the ensemble, Freya's company the Voicings Collective performed at The Cockpit Theatre in October 2017 as part of Rough For Opera #16. Produced by Second Movement, rough for opera provides a performance platform to share new work and celebrate the breadth of contemporary opera making. With an informal and intimate atmosphere and a Q and A following each performance rough for opera is a great way for audiences to engage directly with opera makers and for composers to get invaluable feedback about their work at an early stage in its development.
English National Opera
ENO Youth Programme - NSPCC partnership
ENO has partnered with the NSPCC to support vulnerable young people to develop their resilience through singing, songwriting and drama. Using the opera Aida, the characters and stories are used as a springboard to explore the complexity of the human condition.
ENO's annual summer holiday youth project brought over 60 young people aged 13-18 from across London together with a group of professional artists. They collaborated over 6 intensive days to create a new piece of music theatre in response to the story and themes in Verdi's opera Aida. Photos below taken by Cat Vinton and with permission from ENO Baylis.
The Voicings Collective
Beginnings: An R&D in Dartington Hall
A video capturing and promoting the work of the Voicings Collective residency at Dartington Hall in January of 2017. For more information and to view a full length video, visit www.thevoicingscollective.co.uk
Mahogany Opera Group
Snappy Opera's
Mahogany commissioned 5 ten minute opera to be performed in primary schools across the country. These pictures are from the Snappy Opera performances in North Tyneside. Each Snappy Opera is developed by a working closely with groups of young people to bring stories, characters and music to life.
Counting Sheep photo credit Sophie Teasdale
Counting Sheep photo credit Sophie Teasdale
Counting Sheep photo credit Sophie Teasdale
Counting Sheep photo credit Sophie Teasdale
Counting Sheep photo credit Sophie Teasdale
Counting Sheep photo credit Sophie Teasdale
Counting Sheep photo credit Sophie Teasdale
Counting Sheep photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Feast That Went Off With A Bang photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Feast That Went Off With A Bang photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Feast That Went Off With A Bang photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Feast That Went Off With A Bang photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Feast That Went Off With A Bang photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Feast That Went Off With A Bang photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Feast That Went Off With A Bang photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Feast That Went Off With A Bang photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Feast That Went Off With A Bang photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Feast That Went Off With A Bang photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Itch Witch photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Itch Witch photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Itch Witch photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Itch Witch photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Itch Witch photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Itch Witch photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Itch Witch photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Lighthouse Wave photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Lighthouse Wave photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Lighthouse Wave photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Lighthouse Wave photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Lighthouse Wave photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Lighthouse Wave photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Magical Music Tree photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Magical Music Tree photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Magical Music Tree photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Magical Music Tree photo credit Sophie Teasdale
The Magical Music Tree photo credit Sophie Teasdale
ENO Youth Programme
The Marigold That Goes To Bed With The Sun (2017)
A three day devising project with young people aged 13-18 exploring responses to Ryan Wigglesworth's new commission of The Winters Tale premiering at London Coliseum in February, 2017. Young people wrote their own words, melodies and created their own staging to the piece. Featuring professional singers and instrumentalists, Photographer Alfredo Falvo and Composer Hannah Conway.
Performed at Lilian Baylis House. Based on the ENO production of Jenufa, Freya Wynn-Jones (director), Hannah Conway (composer), Ruth Peyton (designer) and Pete Cant (writer) undertook a five day devising process with young people.
Image credit to Sarah Ainslie.
Royal Opera House: All Together Opera
The Trials Of Fire And Water, 2016 tour
For the last three years, Freya has formed and worked with All Together Opera, an opera chorus project for older people living in the Westminster Community.
Image credit to Sim Cannety-Clarke
Garsington Opera
Opera For All: Eugene Onegin
Visiting coastal communities to devise responses to Eugene Onegin with primary and secondary age students. This year Freya was a Director involved in the Skegness, Bridgwater and Thanet residencies.
Glyndebourne
Raise Your Voice
A project held at Glyndebourne every winter for people living with a dementia and their carers to attend together and make music, write text and explore character from a known opera.
We'll Meet Again commemorated the 70th Anniversary of the Second World War, with performances and Art Exhibitions by Year 7 students from eight Secondary schools in Norfolk and The Midlands.
Opera North Young Explorers Project
Dulcamara's Travels, 2016
A devising project featuring four schools from the Leeds area creating dramatic responses to L'Elisir D'Amore. Culminating at The Howard Assembly Room at The Grand Theatre, Leeds.
Image Credit Jonny Walton
'The children gained much from the experience, educationally and personally, and we can never under estimate the value of that.'
ENO Youth Programme
Other Voices, 2015
Working alongside composer Pete Letanka, designer Emma Wee and movement director Natasha Khamjani, Freya spent five days working with young people from the Brixton area to devise their own piece of music theatre. Involving partnership with Brixton Youth Theatre and Raw Materials the piece explored responses to Peter Sellars beautiful telling of The Indian Queen.
A first access to culture project with 8-13 year olds in the Leeds area. The project builds skills and independent artistic reflection of young people involved. Each year long project culminates in a performance of devised and rep based work. Performed in Opera North's Howard Assembly Rooms at The Grand Theatre, Leeds.
Into The Harbour, Carry Me Home, Glyndebourne (2013)
2013 Youth Opera performance project. Freya was the GY01 director and co-creator of the piece created to celebrate The Britten Anniversary and Friday Afternoon's Project.