The project ‘Butterfly: Boosting environmental awareness in opera creation’ aims to create a new attitude towards sustainability in theatre and opera houses by exploring new green practices related to opera production and circulation. To do so, the project will go through the entire process of opera co-creation and co-production of a sustainable opera – from the opera commission to the public attendance and the sharing of the sustainable practices experimented, with a particular focus on engaging young audiences throughout the whole process.
With this open call Project Butterfly is looking for music composers to work on the brand-new sustainable opera. Three composers will be selected to write a three-act opera, in Italian, Polish and Finnish, dedicated to the theme of environmental sustainability. The opera is to be commissioned by Teatro Comunale di Modena (Italy), Opera Bałtycka, (Gdansk, Poland) and Opera Box (Helsinki, Finland).
The conception of the work will begin with a co-creation phase implemented by high school students in three project partner countries – Italy, Poland and Finland. The selected authors of the opera will work hand-in-hand with the creative team and the artistic directors of the project within two artistic residencies in Italy and Poland (May and October 2024). Finally, after two years of work, the project will culminate, in May 2025, in the premiere of the newly created opera in the partner theatres and online. The final production will strongly rely on advanced digital technologies and showcase the pathways for a more sustainable opera production.
Applicants must be legal residents in any of the countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme. Each composer will receive a 11,000 EUR gross fee. Travel and accommodation for the two residencies is also covered.
