Become part of something unique, beautiful and long lasting.

Opera is for everyone, and in the staging of this amazing new chamber opera, The Paradis Files, we are creating the opportunity to share the story one of the unheard musical talents of the 18th century. We aim to make this the most sung, signed and accessible opera of 2020 and beyond.

Raunchy, clever and disrespectful, The Paradis Files tells the extraordinary true story of 18th century blind composer Maria Theresia von Paradis (1759-1824). The opera will - in a unique and compelling way - tell the life story of a pioneering woman who finds her musical and sexual empowerment in the salons and courts of 18th century Europe. At the same time, the opera also creates a forum to bring together disabled artists and writers, and opens the door to demystify the experience of going to see an opera.

Support us with your generous donation, and in doing so, you will be not only championing a little-known part of music history for both experienced opera fans and newcomers, but also encouraging D/deaf and disabled writers, artists, singers and directors be a central part of the creative process. This production will be nothing short of revolutionary, (see Creative Team below), with the associated outreach and inclusion programme designed to leave a legacy for future productions.

Why now?

To date, we have developed the opera through inclusive workshops, with British Sign Language interpreters, completed a full libretto (script) and commissioned an extraordinary piece of music bring all our ideas together. We now want to bring it to The Stables and a central London stage prior to a national tour. We need £200,000.

For a budget breakdown or more information about the project please contact The Stables Executive Director on lucy.davies@stables.org. Funds raised will be ring-fenced solely for The Paradis Files.

What is the story?

The Paradis Files follows the true-life story of Maria Theresia Von Paradis (1759-1824) and her career as a successful composer and musician who toured across Europe and the UK. She played for George III and Marie Antoinette, and composed numerous operas and music. By 1785, she founded one of the leading schools for blind musicians, and later a music school for girls in 1808, both in Vienna. This is the true story of an astonishing creative woman who decided to be in control of her own destiny, and who carved out a musical career for herself in a world dominated by men, and their political and musical ambitions

The opera also reveals how, underlying her incredible success, there is the story of how Maria Theresia Von Paradis was used as a pawn by her ambitious family to secure a pension. She was subjected to an extraordinary and daily variety of medical treatments to 'cure' her blindness. She was tutored and taught by the leading composers of her day (Salieri, Mozart and Haydn) and yet was also regularly used by the press to promote the idea that her talent came directly from her blindness. The arc of the story shows the difficulties she had with her family, the court and the music world, and how she navigated the world on her own terms.

Why support us?

By funding us you will be part of:

Telling a story about a disabled woman with authenticity, uncovering a little-known piece of history.

Broaden the appeal of traditional opera by creating a more accessible and relevant chamber opera, and specifically marketing the work to a disabled and younger audience.

Put professional disabled singers and musicians centre stage by ensuring that over 50% of the cast, musicians and creatives are disabled, over 50% are women and at least 25% will be from diverse backgrounds. This breadth of knowledge, life experiences and perspectives is unheard of in professional opera.

Graeae will bring their celebrated aesthetics of access to opera. Opera is seldom audio described or British Sign Language (BSL) interpreted, meaning blind, D/deaf and disabled audiences are excluded from an art form that can be hard to penetrate at the best of times. Maria Theresia von Paradis, a blind musician, would not have been able to access her own work should it have been performed today.

Work with partners from the opera industry who want to become more inclusive in their practice, onstage, backstage and front of house.

The Creative Team

This project has been put together by some of the most trusted names in theatre, opera and writing in the UK, so you will be part of something great, brave but also well managed.

Jenny Sealey MBE - Director

Jenny co-directed the London 2012 Paralympics Opening Ceremony alongside Bradley Hemmings (Greenwich & Docklands Festival). She has been Artistic Director and CEO of Graeae since 1997 and has pioneered a new theatrical language; the creative integration of captioning, BSL and audio description within performance. http://graeae.org/about/who-we-are/

Errollyn Wallen MBE - Composer

Errollyn is an internationally renowned composer, librettist and singer-songwriter. Her prolific output includes fifteen and a half operas to date and her music has won numerous awards including the Ivor Novello Award for Classical and a British Composer Award. She was named in the BBC 100 Women 2018. http://www.errollynwallen.com/

It is with relish that I look forward to working on The Paradis Files. It will be my eighteenth opera but there are still so many new things to explore in this exciting collaboration with Graeae.

The music will be raunchy, disrespectful and downright rude in places. Though we are working with historical figures, we intend to bring them to life in a rambunctious way.

Nicola Werenowska - Librettist

Nicola is a graduate of Graeaes Write to Play programme. Her latest play Silence opened at the Mercury Theatre Colchester in October 2018 and then toured nationally. With April de Angelis she has co-adapted Little Dorrit into Amy Dorrit for Graeaes Radio 4 end of year drama. http://www.nicolawerenowska.co.uk/

Selina Mills - Co-Librettist (Script) and Author

Selina is an award-winning writer and journalist. In 2009 she was awarded a Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award for Non-Fiction. Her book, Life Unseen: The Story of Blindness, will be published in 2021 by Bloomsbury. It is the first accessible history of the subject written in over fifty years. https://www.petersfraserdunlop.com/clients/selina-mills/

Sarah Playfair - Casting

Sarah has worked extensively with English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Welsh National Opera, Glyndebourne, Garsington Opera, Birmingham Opera Company and Tête à Tête in various roles. http://www.sarahplayfair.com/

Bill Bankes Jones - Dramaturg

Bill is founder and Artistic Director of Tête à Tête, and Chair of the UKs umbrella body for opera companies, the Opera and Music Theatre Forum. He has directed more than 40 world premieres of operas, as well as many revivals, plays and other events. http://www.performing-arts.co.uk/bill-bankes-jones/