Slung Low and Manchester Collective stage new production of Benjamin Britten community opera Noah's Flood

This production stays true to those principles – and given the two organisations putting it on, that is no surprise. Both are committed to breaking down barriers to the enjoyment of and participation in the arts. “If Slung Low was an orchestra, we would be Manchester Collective,” says Lane. “We share their values and love their work. They are the most brilliant classical music ensemble and they have done a number of shows at the Holbeck. So, when they approached us and asked us if we fancied doing an opera with them, we were delighted to get on board. Noah’s Flood is right in our wheelhouse – it’s big, it’s bold and it’s about community.” He adds: “All of us working on this project believe passionately in the need for the arts to reach every part of our communities, of our cities and of our nation.”

The family-friendly production tells a story of hope and survival, featuring acclaimed poet Lemn Sissay as the voice of God and the world-class musicianship of Manchester Collective, performing alongside 180 schoolchildren from Ingram Road Primary School in Holbeck and young musicians from Manchester-based Olympias Music Foundation, a music education charity that works with diverse communities in the city including refugees and asylum seekers.

The children will be wearing nearly a hundred different animal costumes, portraying an array of real and imagined creatures. Tying in to the production, a series of costume, make-up and video projection workshops, for adults, were held in Holbeck earlier this year.

“This is not the biggest cast we have ever had but it is the greatest number of children we have worked with,” says Lane. “Rehearsals have been fun – the children are so creative and imaginative. We have done a lot of work with Ingram Road Primary School in Holbeck – and there is a real sense of us growing together and learning new skills together. It is really exciting. And it’s wonderful to have Lemn on board – he has been such a friend to Slung Low.”

Another stipulation of Britten’s was that the opera should not be performed in a concert hall, something which again aligns perfectly with the work of both Slung Low and Manchester Collective. Their aim is always to make art accessible to all and take it into non-traditional spaces.

“It is really important to us to get away from the stereotypes of where classical music should be seen and heard,” says Linda Begbie, acting chief executive of Manchester Collective. “A key element of what we do is to bring together musicians of different backgrounds, we often work with artists from outside the classical world, using music as a unifying force.”

Like Slung Low, the creative team at Manchester Collective are not afraid to challenge themselves or take risks. “We are always pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone and trying to use music and art as a vehicle for growth," says Begbie. “With this project, we are all moving outside our comfort zone – it is the first time we have worked at such scale with children and young musicians. It is about leaning into that and Slung Low have just been such good partners because they enter into that spirit too – and with so much energy. The performance may not be perfect and polished but you will sense the humanity in it and that was also what Britten was trying to achieve. It really is a meeting of minds between Slung Low, Manchester Collective –and Benjamin Britten.”

Noah’s Flood, The Warehouse in Holbeck, July 7 at 7pm as part of Leeds 2023 and at Factory International, Manchester International Festival 2023, July 9 at 3pm.