Participatory art can just as easily be seen as social experiments, whereby artists have a chance to test their own theories and practices on a ‘suspecting’ public. The ‘Powell Opera – A Mini Opera For Non Musicians’ invited members of the public to create an opera in one rehearsal, and perform it on the final day of the Festival.

So how do you pull off a performance by inexperienced singers, with only one rehearsal? I asked artist and composer Franck Leibovici, the director of the project.

‘There’s already been a fair bit of experimentation in this area. It follows in the spirit of 60’s experimental music – musicians like John Cage and Christian Wolf, who wanted to open up the possibilities for music as a social activity. In this performance, there’s no hierarchy, and no time signature. It’s a series of statements that are chanted, and passed around the group.’

Opera Rehearse © Viviana Druga

The result could have been chaotic, but it was in fact melodic and almost soporific, with singular voices punctuating the collective chant. I asked one of the participants, Antonio, how he felt about being involved.

‘I don’t sing normally, or play an instrument.. it was just a nice feeling to be a part of it, to have a purpose, to play around a bit. At the performance, towards the end, I felt quite embarrassed when most people had finished but I was still singing my part, so the focus shifted to me!’

Opera Perform © Viviana Druga

Engaging visitors and other artists in performances has a community feel to it, as a collective, people can create new works with unfamiliar modes of expression, which is a much more memorable experience than being a viewer per say. Perhaps then, it is more about the participant’s own experiences, than the merits of an end result for the audience’s appreciation.