Homeless People find a voice at the Olympic and Paralympic Games for the first time

• First time in Olympic history that homeless people have been given an official platform
  

• 'With One Voice' will be an Open Mic showcase starring 200 performers who have experienced homelessness hosted by Royal Opera House with contributions on film from international groups
  

• Part of the London 2012 Festival
  

• In partnership with Homeless Link and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
  

• The evening will culminate in a newly-commissioned song by Gavin Bryars
  

• Royal Opera House; 2nd July 2012; Box office arrangements tbc

  Award-winning charity Streetwise Opera will be presenting an Open Mic Showcase during the London 2012 Festival to platform the skills of 200 performers who have experienced homelessness from all over the UK and abroad. The event, With One Voice will be hosted by the Royal Opera House in the Paul Hamlyn Hall. It is inspired by Andrew Barnett (Director, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation) and Jenny Edwards (Chief Executive, Homeless Link) who wanted to ensure homeless people were involved at the heart of London 2012. This will be the first time in Olympic history that homeless people have been given an official platform.
  
  Arts groups who work with homeless people such as Cardboard Citizens, the Choir with No Name, Open Cinema and Streetwise Opera will take 5-10 minute slots throughout the day to sing, present drama work, poetry and to screen films. Newer homeless choirs, theatre groups as well as solo singers, poets and instrumentalists from around the UK will also be given the opportunity to perform. The evening will culminate in all performers and the audience coming together to sing a newly-commissioned work by world-renowned composer Gavin Bryars.
  
  Matching the ethos of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the event will also profile the work of homeless people internationally. Throughout the day audiences will watch pre-recorded performances on film from international groups such as the Choir of Hope and Inspiration in Melbourne and Musubi in Osaka. We also hope to feature a performance on film from a homeless group in Rio to link hands with the next Olympic Games host city.
  
  The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said, 'The Olympic and Paralympic Games offer a unique platform to celebrate a vast range of talents and I am proud that for the first time this will include those who have been homeless at some point in their lives. As we strive to end rough sleeping in London, it is important that we recognise and champion the creativity of those who have experienced life on the streets, which is precisely what Streetwise Opera and its fantastic programme of events seeks to do.'
  
  Ruth Mackenzie, Director of Cultural Olympiad said, 'The creative contribution of homeless people is inspiring and it is important to respect and celebrate their achievements. We are thrilled to be working with Streetwise Opera, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Homeless Link.'
  
  Tony Hall, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House added, 'I'm delighted that we're able to make available our Paul Hamlyn Hall for this special event, celebrating the creativity, participation and achievement of people who, for whatever reason, have experienced homelessness and all the hardship that it brings. We see very regularly, both here in the theatre and through our community work, the power that the arts have to uplift, inspire and transform people's lives, and it's wonderful to be able to celebrate the work of Streetwise Opera and the other partners in this way.'
  
  Andrew Barnett, Director, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, UK said, 'This ground-breaking initiative reflects the social and cultural breadth of the Foundation's interests and our core purpose to enrich and connect the experiences of individuals. Supporting new ways of working through the arts and engaging those with fewer chances is an important strand of our work.'
  
  Christopher, a Streetwise Opera performer said, 'Streetwise Opera has helped to broaden my horizons, given me a new perspective and developed my skills. This event is a really good opportunity and it will help to raise the profile of homelessness. I wanted to be part of the Olympics in some way but I didn't know how it was going to happen so I'm pleased to have this chance.'
  
  This ground-breaking performance event will give a voice to homeless people - a group who are often ignored and side-lined. It will be a chance to raise awareness about homelessness to a global audience and shine a light onto the achievements and skills of hundreds of homeless people on the world's biggest stage.
  
  For the performers involved who have experienced homelessness it will also raise confidence, self-esteem, skills and social networks. The arts is now a recognized part of the support of homeless people and Streetwise Opera's evaluation system ('An example of best practice in the third sector', Society Guardian) has shown that building confidence and skills has resulted in 60% of performers experiencing tangible changes in their lives such as re-establishing family contacts and finding paid employment.
  
  Case study:
  Patrick began attending Streetwise Opera workshops in 2010 in Nottingham while on a drug rehabilitation programme. He was reserved at first but he and two of his friends who were also on the programme quickly became highly engaged and took leading roles in our 2010 production, Fables - A Film Opera, staring in the film and performing at the premiere in London. Patrick quickly moved on and has now become a professional drug support worker in Derby just a year after we began working with him - he said, 'Everyone noticed the change in me since coming to Streetwise Opera - my partner, my kids, my friends. I was using heroin for 25 years and for the first time I can look my kids in the eye.' Names have been changed to protect identity.
  
  Homeless performing arts groups and individuals can apply to be part the event from December 2011 - details will be published on www.with1voice.org.uk and will be advertised through the homeless sector.
  
  Further information: Matt Peacock, CEO, Streetwise Opera mp@streetwiseopera.org 020 7495 3133
  

'With One voice' has been featured on BBC London News.

Notes to editors:

Homelessness Statistics:

• The number of people applying to councils for because they are homeless has increased by 14% in the last year (QTR2 2010 - QTR 2 2011)
  

• Nationally, the Government estimates that there are 1,768 people sleep rough on any one night but we believe that the true figure is likely to be higher.
  

• We have seen rough sleeping in London go up by 8% (In 20010-11, 3,975 people were living on the capital's streets compared with 3,673 in 2009-10)
  

• In a recent survey of Homeless Link members, over 60% of respondents said rough sleeping had increased in their area.
  

• There are approximately 40,000 hostel beds in London per night and approx 500,000 hidden homeless people in UK
  

Homeless Link is the national charity representing over 500 organisations working directly with homeless people in England, and works with local and national government. As the national hub for information and debate on homelessness, Homeless Link seeks improve services and to advocate policy change that will end homelessness in England. www.homeless.org.uk

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is an international charitable foundation with cultural, educational, social and scientific interests. Based in Lisbon with branches in London and Paris, the Foundation is in a privileged position to support transnational work tackling contemporary issues in Europe. The purpose of the UK Branch in London is to enrich and connect the experiences of individuals in the UK and Ireland and secure lasting, beneficial change. We have a special interest in those who are most disadvantaged. The project is supported under our Maximising Social and Cultural Value theme.

Streetwise Opera (winner of the Andy Ludlow Homelessness Award and Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award), is a charity that uses music as a tool to help 500 homeless people per year move forward in their lives. We do this through a weekly music programme in 11 homeless centres across England and by staging critically-acclaimed opera productions starring our homeless performers.

Our productions, ('Awe-inspiring', 5 stars The Times) platform the skills of our performers in a professional arena, showing them that whatever life throws at you, you can achieve great things; underpinning these productions, our workshops are a dependable source of creative activity in lives where everything else can be changing. www.streetwiseopera.org

The Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad is the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements. Spread over four years, it is designed to give everyone in the UK a chance to be part of London 2012 and inspire creativity across all forms of culture, especially among young people.The culmination of the Cultural Olympiad will be the London 2012 Festival, bringing leading artists from all over the world together from 21 June 2012 in this UK-wide festival - a chance for everyone to celebrate London 2012 through dance, music, theatre, the visual arts, fashion, film and digital innovation.

Principal funders of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival are Arts Council England, Legacy Trust UK and the Olympic Lottery Distributor. BP and BT are Premier Partners of the Cultural Olympiad and the London 2012 Festival.