Rockcorps blog post about us!

At RockCorps we know all too well how music inspires people to take action, strengthen communities and give back. That is why we wanted to tell you a bit about a new initiative called, Opera for Change. Yep, you heard us, Opera for Change! It all started when a group of friends with a love of music and story-telling that decided to make the bold move to take The Magic Flute (an opera) across Africa in an articulated lorry. Again, yes you heard us, an articulated lorry. The group of performers and musicians are going to take the production of Mozart’s famous opera on the back of a lorry from Nairobi to Cape Town, where they will work with musical organisations, schools, communities and festivals along the route. Opera for Change will create a travelling festival of stories and songs in collaboration with local partners, from Ghetto Classics in Nairobi to the School of St Jude in Tanzania all the way down to the Keiskamma Music Academy in South Africa. With a programme of workshops, performances and community-based events the charity will draw on the indigenous music, stories and cultures that they discover along the way. Each collaboration will build links and partnerships that will develop into longer-term community arts schemes, both locally and internationally. The journey kicks off this weekend, so to follow their musical odyssey across Africa you can get them on Twitter, Facebook or check out their website for updates and news. We wish them the best of luck in their journey; it’s certainly one of the most inventive ways to work with communities we’ve heard of in a long time!