François Matarasso

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  • Principles of co-creation?

    Three years after it began, the Traction project is finally complete. A review meeting with the European Commission two weeks ago has left us with some loose ends to tie up and a glowing report. It’s been an extraordinary journey for me—learning about opera and digital technology, doing co-creation in a pandemic, and personal griefs.…

  • Research on participatory opera and music theatre

    SIMM (Social Impact of Music Making) is a platform linking academic researchers with practitioners committed to music as a path to positive social change. Based in Belgium, it has connections across the world, and organises a series of conferences, exchanges and similar events. In partnership with the Liceu Opera House in Barcelona, Simm is organising…

  • Co-creating Opera: Presenting the learning from the Traction project

    Regular visitors to this site (and its retiring companions) will know that I have spent much of the past three years working in the world of opera. It’s been wonderful, though I will only ever be a tourist in this land. It’s been challenging, but that isn’t a euphemism for difficult. It’s been a surprisingly…

  • There is another way

    A guest post by Richard Willacy, General Director, Birmingham Opera Company I’m arriving at a foyer buzzing with excitement; youth, experience, love, pride, selfies, chat, insta, a full house. Hundreds thrill thousands. I’m placing my mobile phone in a small locker in a ranchlike entrance before I walk through a metal detector flanked by guards…

  • A Culture of Possibility Podcast #25 – Jasmina Ibrahimovic 

    NOTE: This post is to introduce you to the 25th episode of François Matarasso’s and my monthly podcast, “A Culture of Possibility.” It will be available starting 20 January 2023. You can find it and all episodes at Stitcher, iTunes, and wherever you get your podcasts, along with miaaw.net’s other podcasts by Owen Kelly, Sophie Hope, and many…

  • Old Words #11 – ‘All in this together’

    Still from ‘Ghost Town’ The Specials, 1981 THE DEPOLITICISATION OF COMMUNITY ART IN BRITAIN, 1970-2011 In 2011, I was asked to speak at ICAF about community arts in Britain, after the change of government the year before—and could I also say something about the riots that had taken place that summer? No, I could not:…