“Opera in this country is definitely not accessible,” says Byron Jackson, an international baritone and the artistic director of what is thought to be the first black- and Asian-led production of Wagner in the UK.
Opening in Birmingham on Sunday, this rendition of the German-language opera The Flying Dutchman will feature a cast from across the Commonwealth, and a number of community performers from Handsworth, Balsall Heath and farther afield in the West Midlands.
“We’re trying to engage people who have not necessarily sung in a classical choral work before, to give them an opportunity to be inspired and enthused,” says Jackson. “And this is the first ethnically diverse take on such an exalted and celebrated piece of work. It’s never been done in this country. We need to ask why that is.”
Alongside Jackson is the director Iqbal Khan, the brains behind the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. Their opera aims to continue the inclusive legacy of that sporting event.
“We’re not trying to be tokenistic. We’re not trying to be woke,” says Jackson. “What we’re trying to do is say, ‘Look, if people can see that they have role models from their very communities, that have been disfranchised or underserved, that should inspire people to come and be part of the process.’”