Over the past month, ABC of Opera has delivered transformative workshops to over 1,000 children across Wales in partnership with Welsh National Opera. Together, we’re proving that music and storytelling have the power to inspire, empower, and transform lives.
For ABC’s CEO, Mark Llewelyn Evans, this partnership is deeply personal. Mark’s first professional singing role was as Marcello in La bohème with WNO, an experience that ignited his passion for opera and storytelling. The collaboration feels like a natural evolution, merging WNO’s artistic excellence with ABC’s innovative approach to education.
To date, ABC of Opera has inspired over 31,000 children across 300 schools, proving that opera and storytelling are powerful tools for education. ABC’s innovative workshops don’t just teach, they ignite imaginations, build confidence, and empower children to believe in themselves.
ABC of Opera’s mission, Any Body Can, aligns with WNO’s commitment to making opera accessible to all. Together, we are delivering:
- Powerful storytelling: Introducing children to classical music and the extraordinary lives of composers like Beethoven and Mozart.
- Curriculum integration: Linking directly to the six areas of learning and experience in the Welsh curriculum, fostering creativity, confidence, and teamwork.
- Sustained learning: Equipping schools with 150 online resources per workshop, enabling teachers to continue delivering expressive arts education.
- Inclusive experiences: Ensuring children of all abilities, feel part of the magic and joy of opera and storytelling.
Teachers have hailed the workshops as transformative, highlighting their ability to enrich education while making it fun and accessible for all.
“Thank you so much for today! Our children absolutely loved working with you and Rob. They left excited, happy, and motivated to keep learning.”
“You have energized over 500 pupils and staff in just two days across Powys. You’ve opened their eyes to the magic of storytelling through opera. Diolch yn fawr!”
“You’ve lifted the spirits of everyone here”
“A brilliant day from start to finish, thank you!"
"Best CPD ever! The rhythm games, songs, and accompanying books were fun and practical for us as teachers too."
“So engaging and inclusive, staff and pupils are still talking about it.”
This partnership would not have been possible without the support of Powys and Pembrokeshire Music Services and Castell Howell, who share a belief that music should be accessible to all. Together, ABC and WNO are proving that music has the power to transform lives, from the grand stages of the world to the classrooms of Wales.
Here’s to many more years of bringing the magic of opera to the next generation of music lovers.