'The homeless are the people that you step over on your way out of the Opera House.’ Twenty-five years ago, opera critic and support worker Matt Peacock heard this quote while volunteering at The Passage homeless shelter, which sparked an idea. What if bringing people who experience homelessness into the opera house could alter perceptions of homelessness?

Just two years later in 2002, Peacock founded Streetwise Opera, an opera company with a mission to inspire and empower people who have experienced homelessness.

Where is it based? Working across London, Nottingham and Manchester, Streetwise Opera holds weekly workshops in frontline homelessness services such as hotels, day centres and refuges.

How did it start? Following the initial inspiration, Peacock pitched the idea to the Royal Opera House. Shortly after, it staged

The Little Prince in Linbury studio with clients from The Passage.

This first performance was a success, leaving the audience and performers wanting more. It was then they knew they were on to something, and Streetwise Opera was born.

What’s its mission? CEO Rachael Williams explains the organisation’s three main impacts: ‘We want to change perceptions of homelessness. If people can see us in a different context, they will change their views about what people who have experienced homelessness are capable of.’

It also aims to change the perceptions of opera. ‘What’s interesting about opera is that there are perceptions about it that are based on everything surrounding the art form rather than the art form itself. Our work demonstrates that opera has an incredible capacity to connect with everybody.’

Finally, Streetwise opera aims to influence the wider sector: ‘The other thing that speaks to our partnership with the Royal Opera House and Royal Ballet is sector influence, to work with incredible partners and shape their thinking about what’s possible’. Williams emphasises the importance of language, particularly when referring to participants. ‘We always use the word “performers” for the individuals who take part in our work. They are some of the most passionate advocates for opera you can come across.’

Artistic director Martin Constantine talks of the importance of collaboration throughout the process: ‘Everything we do is co-created and developed hand-in-hand with the performances – everything is co-written, co-directed, co-composed.’ This collaborative approach extends beyond the creative process. Many of the company’s trustees started as performers themselves, and the organisation places great value on having staff members who have lived experience of homelessness.

‘We’re hoping to challenge established hierarchies, question traditional ways of working, and embed equity in everything that we do,’ says Constantine.

What’s next for Streetwise Opera? The next project for Streetwise Opera is ‘Reimagining the Classics’, set to launch in April 2026 in collaboration with Opera North,’ Constantine explains. ‘This initiative will involve working with composers, directors, and conductors to tackle challenging themes, such as misogyny, in classic operas. Performers will rework pieces and run them on the main stages of major opera companies. ‘Our performers are going to tackle these pieces, reimagine them, and make them their own.’ ON