pOpera: an inclusive community opera
Published on 17 Oct. 23
A project open to refugees
The pOpera project is open to all, with a particular focus on refugees and/or people who recently arrived in Luxembourg. There are few cultural projects on this scale that offer refugees the opportunity to create and take part in cultural initiatives.
In a country like Luxembourg, where almost half the population is of foreign origin, it is important to give everyone access to intercultural and inclusive artistic projects. Moreover, given the recent conflicts and the significant influx of people seeking international protection coming from countries such as Syria, Eritrea and Ukraine, special efforts must be made to ensure that all refugees have the opportunity, if they so wish, to take part in an artistic process.
Thus, ppOpera celebrates the extraordinary talents and stories of people who have been displaced, offering them a platform for their voices to be heard and their creativity to be shared with a wider audience.
The Fondation EME is already involved in other projects to help refugees express their personal stories, hopes and dreams. We regularly work with partners such as the Luxembourg Red Cross reception centres. Projects such as Akwaba Menike (involving children from the Dudelange reception centre) or Resist'Dance (featuring Ukrainian refugee women) have shown that music and dance can bring joy in difficult times, enhancing the experience of participants despite their displacement.
Resist'Dance (left) and Akwaba Menike (right) projects.
An inclusive project
This opera aims to highlight the liberating impact of expression and creativity. The Fondation EME wishes to offer these workshops free of charge to all participants, with the aim of achieving its objective of inclusion and promoting a better life together through music.
This project is in line with article 27, paragraph 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits". Through this project, the Fondation EME is committed to guaranteeing equal access to musical initiatives for all, regardless of age, social origin, nationality or even musical knowledge. Anyone interested, whatever their musical background, is welcome to take part in this community opera.
The project also provides an opportunity for different groups to meet. We hope that new friendships will be forged through this initiative, facilitating the integration of refugees while promoting intercultural dialogue.
Professional mentoring
To support this project, the Fondation EME has assembled a dedicated and talented artistic team. The participants will benefit from professional mentoring provided by Paulo Lameiro, artistic director; Amit Dhuri, percussionist; Anne Simon, director; David Laplant, video artist; Tim Wollmann, composer; Stephany Ortega, singer; Antoine Pohu, librettist, as well as other artists whose participation has yet to be confirmed.
In particular, Portuguese artist Paulo Lameiro, who has already collaborated with the Fondation EME in 2022, is returning to Luxembourg to oversee this inclusive, community-based opera project. He has a wealth of experience in coaching operas, including working with people in prison, the elderly and Romanian communities. You can find out more about creating opera with audiences at risk of exclusion by listening to our podcast "Dive in with (e)me" with this artist.
Finally, the workshops will take place at the prestigious Philharmonie Luxembourg, giving refugees the chance to discover this institution while also taking part in the "Ensemble au concert" programme.
All the conditions gathered to make the most of these workshops. Thanks to the multiple talents of the artists involved, the participants will have the opportunity to explore different techniques of artistic expression. These techniques will be all the more beneficial in the context of difficult and atypical life paths.
For the moment, this opera is still in the making… The different aspects of the opera will be decided in consultation with the participants, the artists being open to all imaginable scenarios… We can't wait to discover the final result!
