Grab your banner, rip off your corset and help us celebrate the centenary of the first women getting the vote.
Fancy experiencing more with WNO this summer? We are offering a wide range of events and activities to coincide with our performances of Rhondda Rips It Up! So whether you are 8 or 80, join us in our adventures with the Welsh suffrage movement and learn more about this historic time in the lives of the women of Britain. From a symposium on women in classical music, to creative workshops, a day of family activities to chances to sing some suffragette anthems, come along and join in.
To tie-in with our premiere of Rhondda Rips It Up! on Thursday 7 June we are holding a symposium for women in classical music at The Riverfront in Newport, ‘Where are all the women?’. This is to highlight the scarcity of women in the classical music world – female conductors, composers and directors are few-and-far-between. It is a similar case in other arts fields such as the film industry, where at least it is now a subject for open discussion; here we hope to raise the profile of the lack of women in our industry. If you work in the sector, please join us and give your views – you can book a place or, for more info take a look at our event page. It’s a unique chance for all women in the sector to raise their voices and air their views, to take a stand, to follow in the footsteps of Lady Rhondda and her fellow suffragettes.
Perhaps you fancy a day of free family activities? On Sunday 10 June we are having our second WNO at the Museum day, which might be good news for the younger members of our audience, or those of you with youngsters to entertain. While learning all about Lady Rhondda and the amazing life she led, have a go at prop making, try out a musical instrument or two, listen to stories or catch a pop-up opera. Or maybe shake it up a bit and go further back in time with the National Museum Cardiff’s permanent displays because how can you carry on the suffragettes’ aim in changing the world if you don’t know how the world began?
However, if you’re just looking for an excuse to sing yourself, then you’ll be very pleased to hear that throughout June we’ll be holding more of our ever-popular Come & Sing events at several of our Rhondda Rips It Up! venues around Wales and England. So put it in your diary to pop along early, learn some of the songs and perhaps even ‘participate’ during the show – all in the name of authenticity, to help us get that real Music Hall vibe going.
Bringing the whole thing bang-up-to-date, we’re also launching our latest digital experience, Rhondda Rebel at the Sessions House in Usk where Margaret Haig Thomas was tried for her homemade post box bomb. A mash up of augmented reality and live performance to really take you inside Lady Rhondda’s trial, set in the actual court room where she was sentenced. If you can’t get to Usk, don’t worry, we are taking a version to Insole Court and the Pierhead Building in Cardiff, then later in the year to further venues too. All of which will be listed on our website.
So really we have something for everyone – keep an eye on our dedicated page for more news as it happens.
