Staging the Voice: Voicing the Stage A research collaboration between Opera North and Newcastle University June 2021- March 2022 Act 4 – Symposium Friday November 5th, 2021 11.00 – 1.00pm (Lunch provided at 1pm) **In person event** The Clore Suite, Great North Museum, Newcastle University Programme Time Activity Speakers/s 1030-1100 Refreshments available 1100 (5m) Welcome & Introductions Richard Talbot, Professor of Drawing and Director, Institute for Creative Arts Practice, Newcastle University Dominic Grey, Projects Director, Opera North 1105 (10m) 11.10 (20m) Vocal warm-up Opera North In conversation: Whose stories, who tells them, and how? We are interested in the opportunities and challenges of prosopopoeia: speaking / singing through the experience of another person, fictional/ historical/living. This question is relevant to creative writers, singers, actors, directors (especially of verbatim theatre), and also to their audiences/readers. And we might add a further question: what does prosopopoeia - and the debates about it - tell us about the power of the voice to tell stories (without text!). Jennifer Richards, Professor of English Literature, School of English Literature, Language & Linguistics & Director Humanities Research Institute, Newcastle University Barbara Gentilli, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Cardiff University (& formerly Research Fellow at Newcastle University) Christine Chibnall, Planning Director, Opera North, Mathew Eberhardt, Director, (Trouble in Tahiti), Opera North 11.30 (25m) Open discussion 11.55-12.05 Comfort Break 10 mins ON & UoN event Nov 5th 2021 – Clore Suite, Great North Museum, Newcastle University Document updated by MW 15Oct2021 1 12.05 (5m) 12.10 (20m) Screening of clip from Opera North’s production of Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti In conversation: Dominic Grey, Projects Director, Opera North Stage(text)s: integrating surtitles and captioning Playwright and dramaturge Kaite O’Reilly characterises ‘surtitling/captioning as an equal, parallel text, rather than side text’. In this conversation we are interested in exploring the relationships between that ‘parallel’ text, the performing/speaking/singing body and the dramaturgy and scenography of performance. How can integrated aesthetic and creative captioning offer new opportunities for those relationships and for the performance/artwork as a whole? How can captions be creative, inclusive and enabling for all? What are the challenges? Jo Robinson, Professor of Theatre & Performance, School of English Literature, Language & Linguistics, Newcastle University Stuart Leeks, Editor, Opera North Alice Gilmour, Community Partnerships Manager, Opera North Amy Payne, Mezzo Soprano, Opera North 12.30 (20m) 12.50 (5m) Open discussion Wrap up Jennifer Richards, Newcastle University 13.00 – 14.00 Lunch & networking 14.00 Close ON & UoN event Nov 5th 2021 – Clore Suite, Great North Museum, Newcastle University Document updated by MW 15Oct2021 2