Thursday 17th April 2025
LOT is supporting Pegasus Opera Company in several programmes including the production of a new opera on the poignant and powerful story of the Windrush generation
Laidlaw Opera Trust, committed to bringing opera to new audiences and making it accessible and inclusive announced today a partnership with Pegasus Opera Company. As well as supporting the opera company to commission and produce a new opera, the partnership enables Pegasus to expand its mentorship programme for singers of global majority heritage.
Pegasus Opera Company has made significant strides since its founding in 1992 in diversifying the operatic landscape, bringing stories and nurturing talent from the global majority to the forefront of British opera. The company’s latest production will be a landmark achievement in telling the tale of the Windrush generation, whose arrival in the UK in 1948 marked a transformative moment in the nation’s history.
One of LOT’s main aims is to future-proof opera by bringing it to new and younger audiences. This can be through innovation in the stories being told through opera, and who is telling them. Windrush is a story that belongs to all of us as it heralds the transformation and enrichment of post-war UK society. By supporting Pegasus Opera Company, LOT is helping to ensure that these important narratives are told on a grand stage for all to witness.
Laidlaw Opera Trust is delighted to be supporting Pegasus Opera Company as it creates and nurtures this opera to be performed in time for the Windrush + 80 celebrations in 2028.
Pegasus Opera Company also runs a fantastic mentorship programme for singers of global majority heritage, each year supporting eight artists. In 2025, Laidlaw Opera Trust will fund an additional four mentees on the programme. Four of the 12 artists will receive additional mentoring and opportunities to learn and observe through a unique partnership with Glyndebourne, now in its fourth year. LOT is also enabling Pegasus to offer more targeted support to help overcome the significant challenges faced by the mentoring programme graduates as they build their careers and tracking the long-term success of the programme.
Alison Buchanan, Artistic Director, Pegasus Opera Company, said, “I am thrilled to be collaborating with the Laidlaw Opera Trust on our groundbreaking new Windrush opera. The core values of LOT and their commitment to making opera accessible to all, align marvellously with the Pegasus ethos. Their support and belief in our opera empowers us to bring the Windrush story to the operatic stage in a way that will honour the legacy and impact of the Windrush generation. Together, we are amplifying voices that have too often been left unheard and opening doors for the next wave of talented artists from global majority heritage. This partnership is a powerful step forward for inclusive storytelling in opera. It is a story about Brittain today, but even more it is the universal story of the wonderful contribution both cultural and economic migration can make on the communities who welcome them.”
Kate Roberts, CEO, Laidlaw Opera Trust, said, “One of our aims at Laidlaw Opera Trust is to make opera inclusive and accessible to everyone, and the question of what stories we tell and who tells them is fundamental to addressing this. Pegasus Opera Company has been breaking down barriers to inclusivity for over 30 years in multiple ways and for this reason we are thrilled to support the organisation. The mentorship programme creates opportunities for talented individuals to flourish in the art form he Windrush opera tells a story of national significance, with relevance to all of us. I personally can’t wait to see the results of this extraordinary creative endeavour.”
The Laidlaw Opera Trust’s sponsorship of the Pegasus Opera Company underscores its commitment to promoting inclusivity, diversity, and cultural representation in the arts. By amplifying underrepresented voices and stories, the Trust seeks to enrich the opera art form, inspire broader audiences, and contribute to a more inclusive cultural landscape.
About Pegasus Opera Company
“An audience as comfortably diverse as many a UK city street…Pegasus’s double bill, given three performances, may look like a small event. On the contrary, it is a catalyst for change.”
Fiona Maddox, Guardian on Pegasus’ Opera double bill Roman Fever/The Human Voice, April 2024
A beacon of diversity and inclusion in the opera world since its founding in 1992, our mission is to promote diversity and inclusion in the arts by spotlighting underrepresented classical artists and to build on our reputation as a champion of artistic equity and innovation, and of fostering new talent.
Artistic Director and acclaimed soprano, Alison Buchanan – the only black female Artistic Director of an opera company in the UK and Europe – leads a skilled team, supported by an experienced, diverse Board. Our inaugural Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation award (2023-26) acknowledges the Company’s leadership role within the sector, creating best practice in promoting artists of global majority heritage, and making opera accessible to wider audiences.
From our home borough of Brixton, we produce innovative, inclusive and excellent contemporary opera and concerts for diverse audiences (reaching c. 7800 in April 2024-March 2025). This includes programming an accessible range of works and touring to a variety of London and UK venues with the aim of reaching underserved communities.
About the Laidlaw Opera Trust
Laidlaw Opera Trust champions live music as a uniquely thrilling art form, accessible to all. We invest in opera companies and houses who believe that opera should be part of everyone’s cultural capital. Through strategic support and grants, we aim to expand opera’s reach and self-sufficiency. By investing in the future of this cherished art form, we enrich cultural landscapes and nurture the next generation of opera enthusiasts and artists.
Pegasus Opera Company Media Contact
Sonia Hyams
0207 501 9501
