Teenagers will take the stage at the Royal Albert Hall tonight to perform their own opera exploring the impact of gang violence on young people.
More than 700 pupils from Newham will perform Full Circle as part of the Music for Youth Proms. The opera is in part inspired by the real-life story of former child refugee Jonathan Lofulo who arrived in Newham and spent time in prison before turning his life around.
Mr Lofulo ran creative workshops and shared his story with hundreds of students from 15 schools in the borough through educational organisation Newham Music. They then created the opera, including five songs “reflecting the modern-day struggles of finding your way”, all accompanied by an orchestra, and spoken-word poems exploring gang culture, refugee journeys and racism.
Anthony Wilson, headteacher of Lister Community School, said: “This shows just how music can bring our community together and also the exceptional standards our students can achieve.”
The proms aim to provide more than 2,000 young people with the opportunity to perform in a supportive, non-competitive environment and experience world-class music. Performances are tonight and tomorrow.
