With a grant from The Radcliffe Trust, Future Directions in Rhondda Cynon Taff brought together a group of neurodiverse young people to work with music, theatre and film professionals to create a digital opera in their own voices.
The project began in September 2024 with taster workshops across the community. These offered young people the opportunity to learn more about the project and meet the lead creative facilitators.
From these workshops, Music Theatre Wales gathered a group of six young creatives, plus a trainee workshop facilitator, all of whom were neurodiverse. The young people worked with a professional team to develop a digital opera.
Trouble in Treorchy follows the journey of a young man who feels out of place in the modern world and chooses to see life through the eyes of a film-noir detective, Edward Greyson. Over the course of the film, Greyson begins to question the mask he wears before he finally breaks free.
Feedback from the young people involved in the project demonstrates how they gained technical and creative skills, confidence in the value of their own ideas, and experience of working collaboratively. Participants were proud of their work.
• “I feel more confident using my creative skills in a group.”
• “I understand more about how things work, such as the cameras and sound.”
• “I really enjoyed how we were encouraged to take part in co production, where we could each use our strengths to create the piece while also challenging ourselves to try new things.”
• “The whole environment was well supported, and we were encouraged to take breaks if we needed to. Everyone was kind and accepting of each other.”
• “Future Directions gives me the opportunity to work within a setting (music, theatre, opera, film) that isn’t always the most accessible for people with disabilities and neurodivergence.”
The full digital opera can be viewed here:
https://musictheatre.wales/trouble-in-treorchy/