February was our last post. The next three months we led the delivery of the final phase of an extraordinary International Youth Arts programme of work The Complete Freedom of Truth, which was part funded by an Erasmus + grant.

One of our 11 partners, the Comune di Sarteano, hosted and helped to organise this final residency for 14 days in their beautiful town in Southern Tuscany. See the photograph at the top of the page to look at the main square with the Arrischianti Theatre on the right hand side. A tiny mini version of La Scala in Milan, exquisite and perfect and at the centre of the life of the town and its kind, patient and hospitable community.

There will be an evaluation and a report on the projects web site, TCFT,  and more news and updates as all the film and photography, words and poetry are added.

There will an update shortly on where this project will go next but it will surely be followed by small residencies from
1 day to 1 week, Srebrenica, BiH, Bridport and Croydon, UK and possibly Setubal, Portugal.

Now it the time for the final reporting and evaluations but this will give food for the space in the brain that says what next, where do we go from here with this amount of energy and inspiration. Certainly Opera Circus is going to continue working with young people in Bosnia and is delighted if collaborations are formed with Arischianti in Sarteano.

There is interest in working with a number of partners in the Middle East and Northern Africa and we hope several UK individuals and partners who have helped create this work from day 1.

More than anything it is time for more art, more creativity and less mind – numbing bureaucracy.

Thank you to everyone who has helped fill the last 24 months with delight and joy, learning and struggle.
To the few who thought they knew best, we wish you well.