OperaUpClose has announced that it will become a resident company at MAST Mayflower Studios in Southampton, U.K.

The company started its development with the studio back in 2017 for its production of “The Magic Flute.” That was followed by a partnership in 2019 for “La Bohème,” followed by a production of “Madama Butterfly” in 2020, one week before live performances were shut down globally due to the spread of COVID-19.

The company noted that it will use its new homebase to develop productions that it can use to tour around the U.K. Among its upcoming plans are productions of “Maria Stuarda” and “Der Fliegende Holländer;” the Donizetti opera is set to tour the U.K. while the Wagner classic would be presented in Southampton.

“We are delighted to welcome OperaUpClose and other cultural organizations into MAST to be resident in the venue, providing a vital creative hub for the city. We are committed to offering opportunities for local theatre makers to develop and explore their craft, telling local stories for our community,” said Sara Scott, Executive Director of MAST Mayflower Studios in a press release.

OperaUpClose was founded in 2009 and has since been commited to producing operas in English-language productions. The company has visited over 50 venues all over the U.K.; the company presented opera for the first time in 37 percent of the venues it visited.