State Opera South Australia believes the next audience, and the next generation of artists, has to be invited in. So we go to where young people are: the classroom. And we open our doors the other way too, through work experience and school group bookings.
Opera brings music, drama, language and storytelling together in one artform — a naturally cross-curricular experience, and often a student's first joyful encounter with the genre. The evidence backs it up: arts programming in schools is linked to higher test scores, better graduation rates and greater college enrolment.
Touring performances align with curriculum and arrive with teacher-ready resources. Group bookings let whole cohorts share a mainstage production together. And for students curious about a career in the arts, work experience placements open up what happens behind the curtain — costume, production, stage management, performance.
Because these opportunities are often on-site or subsidised, they reach students who might never otherwise stand in a room with live opera, or behind one.
Inviting the next generation in — on stage, backstage and in the classroom — isn't a side project, it's our investment in the next generation of opera lovers.
A SCORE THROUGH TIME
An opera for primary schools, touring South Australia in 2027
INTERNSHIPS
Work experience and internship opportunities may be available across different areas of our company, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the many roles and people involved in bringing a season to life.