Howard Assembly Rooms’ Brave New Blog

Opera North are attracting fresh interest in their venue, the Howard Assembly Rooms, with the creation of a new blog, that focuses upon the exciting events the HAR is hosting this Autumn Season, with new entries added each week until December.

Opera North already has a well-established blog for large-scale productions, and this new blog will expand the company’s accessibility for internet users, as part of Opera North’s aim to make their website more interactive.

Over the course of twelve weeks, blog readers will get the chance to see what makes the Howard Assembly Rooms tick, with blog entries from the HAR’s staff and resident artists. This “behind-the-scenes”-style is set to reveal in depth the thoughts and plans they have in store for current and future productions.

The blogs aim “to capture every aspect of the season” and will change on a weekly basis, depending on who writes the entry. The entries that have already been posted on the blog include Opera North’s Projects Director Dominic Gray’s anticipation of the new season’s success, and his take on the start of rehearsals for Jonathan Dove’s new opera, Swanhunter, and Project Manager Jo Nockels musings on her involvement in Leeds’ Light Night this year.

Other artists’ contributions are currently unconfirmed, but Opera North hopes to involve their partners, like Leeds International Film Festival who are holding some viewings in the Howard Assembly Rooms in November, in their blogging enterprise over the course of the Autumn Season.

Blog readers are able to leave comments on the different blog entries, giving them greater access to the forum of theatre debate. This is set to create a stronger link between the theatre practitioners who strive to create pieces that surprise and amaze, and the audience members they hope to entertain.

Future entries are set to be from Tim Burke, ON’s Chorus Master, who will write about his take on his involvement in a community event called “Sing ON: Puccini” this Saturday 17 October, a fun, family “sing-a-long session”, and from David Greed, leader of the Orchestra of Opera North, who will post a blog about his role at Opera North, and the run up to his free “Twilight” event on Friday 23rd October, featuring music from Mozart’s Brahms.

The up-to-date blog entries can be found at http://howardassemblyroom.wordpress.com/

– Vicky Ellis