WOMEN OPERA MAKERS 2024

Since 2016, the Académie du Festival d'Aix has been working to improve the representation of women in the opera field and, while offering artists a unique support programme, is enabling the sector to evolve. Conceived by stage director Katie Mitchell, the Women Opera Makers workshop aims to create a space for exchange between women who are evolving in the fields of musical or multidisciplinary creation, to discuss issues of equality between men and women. It aims to address issues of gender equality, particularly within opera, delve into the obstacles and challenges faced by the artists, and develop the necessary tools to overcome them. In this context, it deliberately encourages the expression of different aesthetics and the creation of new narratives, valuing artistic creativity at the highest level.

This year, the Académie and mentor Katie Mitchell wanted to give this workshop a universal format, reminding us that it is an important and ever-necessary tool that can be activated at any time and should be multiplied. The online version of this workshop builds on the Academie's tested expertise from 2020, a year marked by the pandemic, during which Academy activities were maintained through video conferencing.

This eighth consecutive edition of the Women Opera Makers Workshop, held in the spring, also aims to minimize travel for ecological reasons and encourages the development of effective means to build a professional network remotely.

15 artists will be selected to take part in the workshop.

This workshop is supported by enoa and European Union’s Creative Europe programm.

DATES AND WORKSHOP CONDITIONS

• From 15 to 19 april 2024

The Workshop, which is entirely free of charge, will take place by videoconference.

 PARTICIPANTS

Séverine Ballon - composer and cellist (France)
Paula Carrara - stage director (Brazil / Italy)
Imsu Choi - composer (South Korea)
Maribeth Diggle - stage director (United States / France) – Supported by LOD
Ana Eulate - choreographer (Spain / France)
Andrée Greenwell - composer (Australia)
Julie Hega - singer, actress, visual artist, stage director (France)
Yoon-Ji Lee - composer (South Korea)
Sofia Mavragani - choreographer (Greece)
Romy Roelofsen - actress and stage director (Netherlands) – Supported by DNO
Natalia  Salinas - conductor (Argentina)
Sigrún Sveinsdóttir - stage director (Iceland)
Roxanne Tataei - singer and composer (United Kingdom) – Supported by Britten Pears
Naomi van der Linden - stage director, stage manager, actress and singer (Netherlands) – Supported by DNO
Ayanna Witter-Johnson - composer (United Kingdom)

ARTISTIC SUPERVISOR

Katie Mitchell — Stage director

Guests speakers

• Diana Soh  — composer
• Julia Bullock — soprano