SWAP'ra RETREAT APPLICATIONS
applicant information:
FIRST NAME:
FIRST NAME HIDDEN FOR 1ST ROUND
EMAIL:
EMAIL HIDDEN FOR 1ST ROUND
LAST NAME:
LAST NAME HIDDEN FOR 1ST ROUND
PHONE:
PHONE HIDDEN FOR 1ST ROUND
DATE OF BIRTH
Nov 16, 1992
NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND THEIR AGES:
2 children - 2 years 9 months and 12 days old
ARTISTIC TRAINING AND ACHIEVEMENTS PRIOR TO BIRTH OF FIRST CHILD:
Before the birth of my first child in 2021, I had achieved a First Class Honours degree from RNCM in 2015, followed by a Distinction in a Masters of Performance from the Royal College of Music in 2017. Since completing my training, I have had a varied singing career performing with major UK opera companies, in London’s West End, in pantomime and even as a guest entertainer on cruise ships. I’ve performed as a soloist and/or cover at English National Opera, Grange Park Opera, West Green House Opera, English Touring Opera, Waterperry Opera Festival, Charles Court Opera and was an Opera Holland Park Young Artist in my final term at RCM. In 2019-20, before the pandemic, I was working as a Swing in Phantom of the Opera in the West End, and have maintained a successful teaching studio alongside all of this performing work.
I was also a finalist at the 2018 Royal Overseas League Annual Music Competition
and the 2017 Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO TAKE PART IN THE SWAP'RA RETREAT?
I would like to take part in the SWAP’ra Retreat because I am totally committed to maintaining a career in opera, in spite of now being a parent, in an industry where parenthood is rarely prioritised.
After the birth of my daughter in 2021, I commenced my first opera contract four months after giving birth, which involved a huge childcare struggle, breast pumping during tea breaks, and attending rehearsals on little sleep. I have managed to continue a successful career trajectory and perform with many opera companies since her birth, but the new challenges presented to me in order to maintain this career progression as a parent are palpable. Recently, I have become a mother for a second time (12 days ago!), and am already conscious of the challenges that I will inevitably face when I decide to return to performing work.
Of particular appeal at the Retreat, is the opportunity to work with a performance psychology coach and attend a vocal wellbeing session. I have consistently worked since the birth of my daughter, but this has resulted in a great deal of anxiety, ‘mum guilt’, and the feeling of being torn between my role as a parent, and expectations as a musician. Furthermore, when my first child was just 15 months old, I was involved in a hit and run car accident on my way home from rehearsals late at night which resulted in six months of vocal issues brought on by even more stress and anxiety. I recently invested in therapy to try and overcome the mental health battles I was feeling which were largely a result of trying to juggle being a mother, and maintaining a successful performing career.
Another hugely appealing element of taking part in the SWAP’ra Retreat is the opportunity to meet and live alongside other parents who are potentially experiencing the same feelings I have about working in opera as a parent. When SWAP’ra Cafes were taking place on Zoom, I always joined when I was available and loved the camaraderie and support offered. It was like having a little online village!
Lastly, the opportunity to sing in masterclasses with leading industry professionals, as well as the chance to record audition arias, are also particularly attractive aspects of the Retreat. The chance to sing in a masterclass has evaded me since graduation in 2017, and the financial strain of having a young family means that recordings are something I’ve only managed to update once in the last five years, so I sincerely hope I’m given the opportunity to take part.
DESCRIBE YOUR PRESENT LIFE AS AN ARTIST AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE:
Today I am 12 days postpartum following the birth of my second child, so I am not currently working or auditioning. However, I have ensured I am not losing out on the many auditions that happen at this time of year by sending fairly recently recorded videos to many opera companies, in the hope that this will be considered in the place of me attending a live audition when I have such a young baby.
I am also looking forward to performing as the soprano soloist for Messiah at Waterperry Opera’s Winter Festival in December, and this is due to be my first job since having my son.
DO YOU ENVISAGE BRINGING YOUR CHILDREN WITH YOU ON THE COURSE?
My son will be almost six months old at the time of the Retreat, and I hope to still be breastfeeding, so I anticipate having to bring him along if I am successful in my application. I suspect I will be able to leave my 3 year old daughter with my husband at home, so I would probably need to ask my Mum to help at the Retreat.
REFEREE information:
REFEREE 1 NAME:
James Hurley
REFEREE 1 EMAIL:
REFEREE 1 RELATIONSHIP:
Director (The Magic Flute with Wild Arts)
REFEREE 1 RESPONSE:
Position / Role Held:
Stage Director
Length of time you have known applicant:
4 months
In what capacity have you worked with the applicant and when?
xxxx performed the role of Papagena in a production of The Magic Flute, which I directed this summer.
Would you recommend the applicant for the SWAP’ra Retreat? Please describe the applicant’s ability and potential to build a successful career in opera/classical singing:
xxxx is a committed and talented artist who was a very positive presence in the rehearsal room and a pleasure to work with across the project. She was 5 months pregnant when rehearsals began and she threw herself into the production with total energy and dramatic commitment. She arrived very well-prepared so was able to engage with the staging playfully and spontaneously from the start. She communicates intention and meaning clearly in both her sung and spoken text and she has a keen sense of comic timing. She collaborates generously with her colleagues and fitted seamlessly into a production with multiple casting configurations - including double-cast Papagenas and Papagenos. I look forward to seeing how her career develops and I hope to work with her again in the future.
Any other comments:
I believe xxxx would be a very positive addition to the SWAP'ra retreat and would get significant benefit from the activites on offer.
REFEREE 2 NAME:
Guy Withers
REFEREE 2 EMAIL:
REFEREE 2 RELATIONSHIP:
Artistic Director and CEO of Waterperry Opera Festival
REFEREE 2 RESPONSE:
Role/Position Held:
Artistic Director & CEO
Length of time you have known applicant:
Since 2018
In what capacity have you worked with the applicant and when?
I have employed xxxx on and off for a number of projects from 2018 until the present, including Mansfield Park (2018 - 2023), The Marriage of Figaro (2022), Dido & Aeneas (2023), and Handel's Messiah (2023 & 2024).
Would you recommend the applicant for the SWAP’ra Retreat? Please describe the applicant’s ability and potential to build a successful career in opera/classical singing:
xxxx is perfectly placed to make the most of this opportunity. She is a committed and talented artist, and has always struck me as someone open to new ideas and continuous exploration and improvement. I know that she would definitely benefit from the support that this retreat will offer. I rate her highly, and would definitely say that she has great potential for a career in opera/classical singing.