On July 4, 2022, Opera UK will launch a series of online events meant to discuss the future of opera in the country.

The Changemaking Conversations will bring together individuals and companies within the industry to explore pressing matters such as environmental sustainability, diversity in leadership, and opera advocacy. Attendees will be able to participate in the discussions by asking questions for the speakers.

The panel of speakers includes members of leading companies across the country, in areas ranging from technival production to stage direction. Among the 14 panelists are Chief Executive of Association of British Orchestras Mark Pemberton, English National Opera Artistic Director Annilese Miskimmon, and soprano Elizabeth Llwellyn, among others.

The first panel will be “Advocating for Opera” on July 4. That will will be followed by “Sustaining Opera” on July 5; this panel will focus on how companies can incorporate environmental thinking into all of their processes. The final panel, set to take place on July 7, 2022, will be “Diversifying Leadership in Opera.”

“Innovation and change is vital to ensure that our sector remains relevant, effectively engages with communities, and benefits our audiences,” Genevieve Raghu, one of Opera UK’s founding directors, said in an official press statement. “Opera UK will be holding these Changemaking Conversations to create an opportunity for professionals from the opera sector to come together to exchange ideas, share experiences and their ambitions for the sector. We hope these events will help to connect individuals and companies across the opera sector and instigate even more conversations, positive changes and, through increased collaboration of our members, we hope to see a strengthening of the resilience of the opera sector. We are thrilled to be welcoming 14 impressive guest speakers who will be working with Opera UK to lead and facilitate these upcoming events.

“Many individuals and organizations are pushing the boundaries to ensure the continual development of our industry but there is still work to be done. As we move into our third year as a sector-support organisation, this is also a chance for us to find out more from members and prospective members about what they need from Opera UK moving forwards.”