Where?

St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex

How did it start?

As a practising opera singer, Barefoot Opera’s founder Jenny Miller was frustrated by the lack of ensemble work within the classical singing community. She wanted something reminiscent of a physical theatre company or dance company, where there is more focus on theatrical collaboration. Jenny longed for vocal training with a methodology which didn’t contradict physical characteristics; a desire to maintain the tradition but find a more flexible approach to delivering it. These two desires formed the foundation of training groups which eventually morphed into the ambition of creating a training company. Gradually, the students in the training groups wanted to perform and standard got to a point where she felt they should be paid. Barefoot grew organically and exponentially from there.

What is its relationship to the local community?

Artistic Director and tenor Anthony Flaum says: ‘Working with the community, and our integrative approach to the artform, are central to what Barefoot does.’ The company works in close collaboration with schools and community centres, such as its partnership with Seaview, a drop-in centre for vulnerable adults. This culminated in a community opera, Bloom Britannia, a biting satire on today’s Britain funded by the Arts Council. This year the company is also partnering with Soundcastle, a Hastings-based charity focused on using music to support vulnerable communities. ‘We really want to dive deeper into the restorative work that singing and physicality can have in groups like this,’ says Flaum.

Who are the leaders?

‘I’ve always had a hankering for Excel,’ confesses Flaum. ‘I used to be in banking. Art is subjective, which can be slightly demoralising. If you’re a singer, but also involved in producing your work, you can make things happen. When Jenny approached me, it solidified this view, and I whole-heartedly agree with her approach to the art form.’

‘I would rather stay with the creative work of the bodies and the physicality,’ explains Jenny Miller. The divide suits the company, with Miller continuing to build the approach to the art form and Flaum taking on the day-to-day business and strategic direction of Barefoot.

What does the future hold?

‘My personal dream is not immediately realisable,’ confesses Miller. ‘It would be to have an affiliation of about 12 singers who work in a vocabulary that we all know. This is a wild dream because it requires fantastic funding … meanwhile Anthony has a more practical vision of the future.’ Flaum’s desire is for the company to become the professional touring opera company of the Southeast. ‘There’s plenty of music happening, but no professional touring opera company,’ says Flaum, ‘and there’s lots of pockets of places where there are audiences hungry for this kind of quality art.’

Barefoot Opera’s big plans for 2025 include its tour of Lucia di Lammermoor with an aim to explore contemporary mental health resonances. It plans on partnering with a women’s refuge and domestic abuse groups, as well as an Afro-Caribbean charity in Hastings to deliver targeted workshops in a safe space. Soundcastle will provide mental health first aid training to build safe creative spaces within which to explore themes. ON

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of Opera Now. Never miss an issue – subscribe today