Sligo Youth Opera — 2025
In 2025, Sligo Baroque Music Festival and Festival in a Van collaborated on the creation of a new Sligo Youth Opera, funded by the Arts Council. The project was designed to give local teenagers the opportunity to develop and perform their own opera, with a premiere planned as part of the 30th anniversary edition of Sligo Baroque Music Festival at Hawk's Well Theatre, 26–28 September 2025.
The programme invited young people from fifth class to sixth year, across Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Roscommon, to explore the creative process of making an opera — from brainstorming and writing to music, performance, costume design and production. Participation was free.
The project brought together a team of award-winning artists from a range of disciplines, including Galway composer and performer Anna Mullarkey; Cork poet Molly Twomey; Kildare opera singer Sharon Carty; costume designer Claire Garvey; Sligo violinist Nicola Cleary; opera director Ute Engelhardt; and theatre-maker and artist James Riordan.
The programme was conceived as a nine-month creative journey, running from January to September 2025. It aimed to bring traditional baroque instruments together with contemporary sounds, including synthesisers, and to connect the themes of opera with the experiences of teenagers growing up in the northwest of Ireland.
With opportunities spanning performance, storytelling, music, costume design and technical production, Sligo Youth Opera was designed to welcome young people with a wide variety of interests and creative ambitions.
Presented by Sligo Baroque Music Festival and Festival in a Van.
Funded by the Arts Council YPCE Project Award and supported by The Glasshouse Hotel, Sligo.
About the partners
Sligo Baroque Music Festival presents high-quality performances of baroque music in a friendly and informal setting, bringing together internationally recognised musicians and emerging performers. Supporting the development of young artists has long been central to the festival's work. The festival is run by a voluntary committee, with Sharon Carty as Artistic Director.
Festival in a Van brings high-quality, inclusive arts experiences directly to communities across Ireland. Since 2020, its mobile performance venue has helped make live performance more accessible, particularly for people who face barriers to attending traditional arts venues. Through collaboration with artists and communities, Festival in a Van creates opportunities for participation, connection and shared creative experiences.
About the artists
Anna Mullarkey — Composer and Performer
Anna Mullarkey is an award-winning Galway composer and performer whose work combines electronic music, piano and voice. She creates music for film and theatre and is an experienced music educator, delivering workshops and creative learning programmes for young people.
Molly Twomey — Poet and Writer
Molly Twomey is an award-winning poet from County Waterford. Her debut collection, Raised Among Vultures (2022), won the Southword Debut Collection Poetry Award and was shortlisted for several major poetry prizes. Her writing has appeared in leading Irish and international literary publications.
Claire Garvey — Costume Designer
Claire Garvey is an internationally recognised artist and fashion designer whose work has featured at New York Fashion Week, the Oscars and Eurovision. Alongside creating costumes for performers and musicians, she mentors young people through arts education and creative projects.
James Riordan — Theatre-Maker and Director
James Riordan is a Galway-based writer, director and theatre-maker, and Artistic Director of Brú. An Irish Times Theatre Awards nominee, he has worked with leading Irish and international arts organisations, including the Abbey Theatre and Macnas, and regularly facilitates creative projects with communities and young people.
Sue Crawford — Props and Set Specialist
Sue Crawford is an experienced assistant stage manager and props maker, specialising in set construction, scenic painting, lighting and costume work. She collaborates with designers, directors and performers to bring creative productions to life.
Ute M. Engelhardt — Opera Director
Ute M. Engelhardt is a German opera director and arts educator with extensive experience introducing children and young people to music theatre. Her work includes directing opera camps at the Salzburg Festival and youth opera productions at Frankfurt Opera.
Nicola Cleary — Violinist
Nicola Cleary is an accomplished Irish violinist and music educator who has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra and leading chamber ensembles. Based in Sligo, she is passionate about supporting young musicians and creating opportunities for local performers.
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