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…
Youth Company Workshop Audition
Date: Saturday 8 February 2025
Time: 2-4pm
Location: Garsington Studios
No experience is needed, and nothing needs to be prepared. Music will be taught in the session to the group and places in the Youth Company will be awarded based on potential rather than polish!
Interested in the Youth Company but not available for our 2025 production?
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
