In early April, West Village announced their newest cultural partnership with esteemed arts organisation Opera Queensland. The partnership emerged from a successful performance by Opera Queensland that took place in the beautiful parkland at the heart of West Village. Carols in the Common in December last year was so well received that West Village and Opera Queensland collaborated to facilitate a year-long enrichment program for villagers and the wider community. Opera Queensland Artistic Director & CEO Patrick Nolan said the initiative will elevate the arts, enhance living experiences and cultivate community creation. 

“The recent lockdown measures have significantly impacted how the arts industry operates – so many engagements have been cancelled or postponed. This has been difficult as it is in times of upheaval that we need art, performance, and music to reflect our shared human experience and connect us with each other. 

Opera Queensland and West Village are aware of the key role that the Arts plays in nurturing wellbeing and uniting the community, especially as we face the challenges of isolation and restriction,” said Mr. Nolan.

Navigating the social limitations at the time, West Village and Opera Queensland adapted the delivery of the live performance of their Easter program, A Weekend with Opera Queensland, by offering it to the community via their YouTube channel. Set in and around The Common, A Weekend with Opera Queensland is a series of filmed operatic performances that were released daily over the Easter long weekend. Featuring iconic pieces sung by Queensland’s brightest opera stars, the series offered the perfect opportunity to share the joy and hope embodied in their uplifting performances and bring opera directly into people’s homes. 

West Village and Opera Queensland are delighted to make opera accessible to audiences through this partnership and look forward to providing a suite of creative performances catering to diverse audiences. Stay tuned as Opera Queensland’s special artistic experiences extends to children for the school holidays.

The exquisite A Weekend with Opera Queensland performances is still available to watch here. They’re sure to give you goosebumps!