Opera North appoints diversity academic

Press release:
Opera North has announced Professor Edward Venn of the School of Music, University of Leeds, as its new Academic in Residence. He will spend a year at the Company bringing together diverse voices from the performing arts and academia for a series of discussions, events and an exhibition focusing on race, ethics and representation in operatic storytelling.

Part of the innovative DARE collaboration between the opera company and the University, Professor Venn’s programme of activity begins this Thursday 6 October with a webinar, Telling Operatic Stories: Race, Ethics and Authenticity, as part of Leeds Arts and Humanities Research Institute’s Sadler Series.

Professor Venn’s publications are on the music of Hugh Wood and Thomas Ades, neither of them terribly diverse.