As part of this year's Spirit of Manchester Festival hosted by Manchester Community Central, we invite you to come and join us for a day of art, creativity and fun on 26th September. 

We will be showcasing the excellent work produced by people who use the Booth Centre. You will be able to see some fabulous art work, video productions and some live performances from our opera group. 

Refreshments will be provided so please come along, have a look at our new premises and see what we have been up to. 

RSVP to: [email protected]

Date: Friday 26th September          
Time: 13:30-15:30         
Venue: The Booth Centre, Edward Holt House, Pimblett Street, Manchester M3 1FU

Swap the rush hour for an hour of musical entertainment from Streetwise Opera’s Manchester performers; let our songs inspire you for the rest of the week!

Watch uplifting performances from people who’ve been empowered by singing and acting together in weekly workshops at the Booth Centre and the Methodist Central Hall. There’s a taste of Verdi’s Macbeth, the world premiere of a very special new song by Stef Connor (Streetwise Opera's Composer in Residence) and other musical treats in store.

We hope you will join us for this short, informal evening in the lovely refurbished Library – our groups are all about having fun and trying new things and that’s what this evening is about too!

'Everyone was talking about the passion and power of the performance afterwards'
Audience member

‘It really improved my confidence, singing in front of a group’
Streetwise Performer

Tickets: Free, but space is limited to 50 people so reserve your seat now (includes a free soft drink)
6-7pm (doors open at 5:30pm)
Manchester Central Library, St Peters Square, City Centre, M2 5PD

Click here to reserve your space online.
Or call Streetwise Opera on 0207 730 9551 or email [email protected]

The Answer to Everything is an interactive film and live opera event set in a conference.

At first smarmy compere Steve Hedges keeps the delegates united and corporate confidence appears sky high, but as music gradually engulfs the business rhetoric his world begins to fall apart. Do they really have ‘the answer to everything’?

Moving between stage and screen, the audience is invited to take part as conference delegates in this cheeky, satirical look at big business.

Skilfully mixing performances from Streetwise Opera’s homeless and ex-homeless performers with a handful of professionals including renowned soprano Elizabeth Watts, this rich and characterful 70-minute experience features new commissions by Gavin Bryars, Orlando Gough, Emily Hall, Anna Meredith and Duncan Ward with existing music by Britten, Handel, Gounod, Schumann and Vivaldi.

This is a live performance with optional audience participation; come dressed in your finest business-wear, collect your lanyard and conference pack from the Welcome Desk and get ready to ‘break out’.


Monday 10th February 2014, 18:00-19:30

Cornerhouse
70 Oxford Street
Manchester M1 5NH

Tickets
£8.00/6.00
£6.50/4.50 members
£3 Live Wire Members

Buy tickets - On sale from the Cornerhouse box office.

On Friday 9th November over 100 people decided to brave cold and wet weather to sleep outside Manchester Cathedral to raise money for the Booth Centre.

Around £15,000 has already been raised through the event with more donations to come, which will have a significant impact on the work the centre is able to do. Amanda Croome, manager of the Booth Centre said "This is a particularly challenging time of year for people who find themselves homeless, and as the nights get colder and wetter it's vitally important that we're able to help people get off the streets and into suitable accommodation. This boost to our funds will make a huge difference to our work."  

Although the event gave participants a glimpse of some of the hardships homeless people have to face each night, organisers were committed to showing some of the positive changes the work of the Booth Centre can have on the lives of local homeless people. "One of the activities the centre runs is a weekly singing workshop in conjunction with Streetwise Opera and Opera North. We staged a mini opera during the sleepout involving some of the people who use the centre regularly, and it was great to see such a positive reaction to their performance."

Among those taking part in the event was Helen Varley, who works for CBBC in Salford Quays. "It was an amazing experience but also a harsh insight into the life some people have to lead. I felt the winter chill in my bones, my sleeping bag was soggy, and the hard ground and noise made sleep pretty impossible - I think I got 30 minutes kip all night! I don't think anyone who was part of the sleepout will ever take a warm bed for granted again and I'm proud and pleased that we have all come together for such a great cause."

Thank you to everyone who took part and made this such a successful event. We'll update you with a final total when we've finished collecting all the sponsorship raised!