thebelfastensemble

This May, as part of the 2023 Belfast Children’s Festival we presented a work-in-progress concert of a ew children’s opera THE TIN BIRD. Written by double Ivor Novello nominee Conor Mitchell, this piece for aged 6+ will fuse opera and puppetry to create a world far off in the future when all the birds have fallen from the sky. The story of little girl who sets out on an adventure to rescue her latest pet, it plays with the themes of climate change, futurism and dystopia.

Spending a week with Belfast-based opera singers and orchestra, we took the first important steps in the creation of this piece; developing story ideas and looking at the theatrical possibilities of bird song in orchestral music.

Watch this space for more information as the project grows, and we look forward to presenting the fully finished work as part of Belfast Children’s Festival 2024.

SUPPORTED BY BELFAST CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL AND BELFAST CITY COUNCIL ARTS & HERITAGE FUND 2023.