World-class Harborough opera house is launching a fundraising prize draw

A world-class Harborough opera house is launching a trailblazing fundraising prize draw.

Nevill Holt Opera (NHO) aims to raise vital cash to support its extensive community and education programmes across the Midlands.

The award-winning arts organisation is taking the bold step after being forced to cancel its 2020 summer festival due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The planned 2020 productions, Verdi’s La traviata and Mozart’s Don Giovanni, will be performed in 2021 instead.

The opera, based near Medbourne, has worked with thousands of children and young people throughout the region since 2013.

The NHO is helping them to boost their self-belief and skills through music-making and creative activities.

The fantastic range of more than 20 prizes to be won includes:

- An overnight stay at Michelin-starred Hambleton Hall at Oakham

- A special performance from a Nevill Holt Opera young artist at a private event

- Dinner for six at the House of Lords

- Visits to popular local landmarks Rockingham Castle, Cottesbrooke Hall and Gardens, Deene Park and The Old Rectory Gardens, Sudborough.

You can view the full list of prizes here: https://cdn.nevillholtopera.co.uk/uploads/2020/06/Nevill-Holt-Opera-Prize-Draw-List-of-Prizes.pdfThe opera is celebrating the launch of the Prize Draw by sharing socially-distanced song recitals recorded in its theatre on Friday June 5.

The recitals, from acclaimed opera singers Aoife Miskelly (soprano) and Lawrence Kilsby (tenor), can be watched for free online through NHO’s social media channels.

You can snap up a Prize Draw ticket for £5 from Nevill Holt Opera’s website at: http://nevillholtopera.co.uk

Nevill Holt Opera’s Artistic Director, Nicholas Chalmers, said: “Our work with children and young people across the Midlands and artists breaking into the opera industry is at the heart of everything we do at Nevill Holt Opera.

“Since 2013, we have welcomed thousands of young people to enjoy performances at Nevill Holt, featured brilliant local children onstage in our theatre and visited schools across the Midlands to deliver workshops and individual singing lessons.”

He added: “We are so pleased that we were able to carry out this year’s Spring Education Tour in January, February and March this year - working with nine DRET Academy schools across the Midlands.

“But we are deeply concerned about how we will be able to afford to continue this work in 2021 and beyond.

“We hope that this Prize Draw will take us one step closer towards securing this work for the future, while also offering something fun in which our audiences can enjoy taking part.”

Annie Lydford, managing director of Nevill Holt Opera, said: “We are constantly inspired by the young people we work with.

“The statistics support the importance of these community and education programmes too.

“Research shows that students from low-income families who take part in arts activities at school are three times more likely to get a degree.

“And people who take part in the arts are 38 per cent more likely to report good health.

“The employability of students who study arts subjects is higher and they are more likely to stay in employment, while access to culture is one of the most important factors determining a young person’s well-being.”

She added: “Following the challenges of recent months, reaching young people with music and creative activities is clearly more important than ever.

“Despite wonderful support from our audiences and patrons, the cancellation of our summer festival this year has had a critical impact on us, both now and for our 2021 season.

“By choosing to take part in our Prize Draw, you will be playing a really important role enabling us to continue and even grow this important strand of our work.

“For this, we are profoundly grateful.”

Edmund Danon, a Nevill Holt Opera Young Artist in the 2019 season, has spoken about his time with the company.

“One event that sticks in the memory was the dress rehearsal which was attended by hundreds of local schoolchildren.

“Hearing the reaction in the theatre, and afterwards across Nevill Holt's social media channels, was incredible,” said Edmund.

“The kids absolutely loved it and, considering it was a Britten opera based on a Shakespeare play, I thought it showed children really can get on board with these art forms provided they are given the opportunity to see them done well.”