Youth Company
Garsington Opera’s Youth Company provides young people aged 9-19 with the opportunity to develop their creative skills and confidence through the exciting world of opera, whether that is on-stage through acting and singing or backstage as part of our Production Arts team.
Productions take place every summer at Garsington Opera, with rehearsals taking place at Garsington Studios. Application is via the form below and membership is through annual workshop auditions. No experience is necessary as we welcome young people from all backgrounds with enthusiasm and a zest for performing. All places are fully-funded and awarded on potential rather than prior experience.
2025 Production: Uprooted
Our 2025 Youth Company production, Uprooted, was commissioned by Garsington Opera. It is written by Hannah Conway (composer) and Hazel Gould (librettist).
Synopsis
There are over 150,000 children experiencing homelessness in the UK today. Uprooted tells the story of one child just like them.
Brock is being evicted. The house is being knocked down to make way for a brand-new development. Grace, Brock’s mum, has searched for a new place to rent, but there isn’t anything available.
When it becomes clear that there is no suitable housing for Grace and Brock, they are placed in a tiny room in a B&B an hour’s bus journey away. It’s hard to get to school on time, in the right uniform, with all the homework done, leading Brock to get into a lot of trouble. Anyone with 5 detentions will be banned from the upcoming Year 7 camp, which Grace has managed to scrape together a deposit for Brock to attend.
Up at Brock’s old house, the new development has had to be put on hold: a badger sett (den) has been found and it’s illegal to unsettle one. Brock is visited by the Badgers in dreams and visions, and begins to believe that the badgers are better cared for than human children.
Brock begins to wonder if life would be better underground…
Our 2025 Youth Company is not full. Thank you to everyone who auditioned!
If you are interested in joining our Youth Company next year, auditions will be held in early 2026. Fill out our enquiry form to be notified when our sign-up form goes live at the end of the year.
Interested in getting involved in other ways?
We have a fantastic range of one-day Discovery Workshops for young people covering design, stage management, singing and drama, and more. Visit our Discovery Workshops page to learn more about the various options and sign-up or express an interest in the one’s you’d like to do.
Price: Fully funded places
Venue: Garsington Studios, Wormsley nr Stokenchurch
Production Arts opportunities
Are you aged 16-25? Love art, design or stage management? Work with a professional designer, lighting designer, sound, or stage manager. For more information about our production art opportunities please click the link below.
Price: Fully funded places for successful applicants
Venue: Garsington Studios, Wormsley nr Stokenchurch
