The end of the 2025 Season saw our 85 strong Youth Company and Youth Backstage Team take to the stage alongside a professional soloist and orchestra in the pit for their annual summer production.
Uprooted is a new Youth Opera by Hannah Conway and Hazel Gould which was commissioned for Garsington Opera by our Creative Director of Learning & Participation, Karen Gillingham.
Uprooted is a powerful portrayal of the repercussions and stresses on a family thrust into temporary accommodation. The housing crisis is one of the great issues of our time in the UK, particularly for young people. Hannah and Hazel took inspiration from real stories both within Buckinghamshire and further afield, particularly those connected to Bee Squad – a community organisation in Manchester whose mission is to improve the lives of children experiencing homelessness.
It was important for everyone involved in this project to show how this could so easily happen to anyone and how the ripples of one action impact so very deeply on people’s lives.
For the performance we welcomed a full auditorium of family and friends of our talented youth company, as well as many local councillors and the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire.
“Many congratulations on producing such a brave and powerful commentary on hidden homelessness. The huge cast and backstage teams did an absolutely terrific job, and we felt very privileged to be included in the one-night production” High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire
“I want to express our gratitude to you for the opportunity to hear, see and feel what it is like for families, especially the children impacted by issues of “homelessness”… The young people were a delight to watch, and their portrayal was powerful. So, we’re very grateful indeed for the opportunity, which for me, reaffirms why I decided to stand as a Councillor to empower people to make a change and do better.” Health & Adult Social Care Select Committee at Bucks Council
“It was an amazing performance with a very powerful storyline. I am still in awe at the raw talent and skill of the cast which made the performance even the more poignant. You definitely have a number of future stars on your hands!” Cabinet Member for Resources
Congratulations to our wonderful Youth Company, and everyone involved in this wonderful production of Uprooted. See some highlights of the performance in the images below.
