Online opera comes to the Ulumbarra

AN Aussie children’s opera will hit the stage and screens next month when it makes its world premiere on livestreams at six regional Victorian locations.

Deborah Cheetham AO’s Parrwang Lifts the Sky tells the traditional Wadawurrung story of the sunrise and education manager at Victorian Opera Ioanna Salmanidis said with the help of government funding, regional students can enjoy the city-based world of opera too.

“The Australian Government’s RISE fund has allowed Victorian Opera to further expand our education program, offering schools across regional Victoria the chance to livestream Parrwang Lifts the Sky in real time alongside their peers in metro regions,” he said.

“Limitations such as distance and travel costs can often restrict schools to visit the city and for organisations to travel out to regions, so this funding allows us to bring schools the next best thing, the scale, energy, and excitement of a full-scale production live on stage and now screen.”

Aimed at students in prep to year 9 the story follows Tjatjarrang and Koki who, with the help of Parrwang the Magpie, attempt to bring light to the earth stuck in darkness.

Audiences will also have access to educational workshops as part of the experience where they can meet the cast and composer, learn more about opera and the Wadawurrung culture, and discover the work that goes on behind the stage curtains.

Parrwang Lifts the Sky will livestream from 10.15am at Ulumbarra Theatre on Friday, 11 June. For more information visit victorianopera.com.au/regionalhubs.