Anya17
A one-act opera written to expose the world of sex trafficking and slavery in the UK.
The narrative of Anya17 revolves around four young women deceived and trafficked from Eastern Europe, and their struggle to survive. It aims to educate about the real lives behind the trade in humans, primarily for sexual slavery.
Composer: Professor Adam Gorb, RNCM Head of Composition Stage Director: Caroline Clegg, RNCM Tutor in Stagecraft (winner of Human Trafficking Foundation Media Award, 2011 for her production of ‘Slave’)
Musical Director: Clark Rundell (RNCM Head of Conducting) Libretto by Ben Kaye (freelance writer) Winner of Best stage or film production dealing with human trafficking at the Anti-Slavery Day Media Awards 2012.
It was premièred in a semi-staged version at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on 7 March 2012, where the 14-piece orchestra was the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s Ensemble 10/10; a second performance was given with a student orchestra at the RNCM on 9 March 2012, as part of the New Music North West Festival.
Anya17 was also performed in Romania in October 2013, Germany (November 2013-February 2014) and the USA in June 2014. In Romania it was the concluding event to the Third International Symposium on Human Trafficking held in Arad. It was performed at the Fiharmonica Banatul in Timisoara by a joint UK-Romanian cast which included the RNCM’s Andrea Tweedale, Amy Webber and Thomas Hopkinson.
Another outcome of the staging of Anya17 was an invitation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in conjunction with The UK-Romania Friendship Foundation to take the opera around Romania and also to repeat their successful International Human Trafficking Symposium. A variety of video interviews with cast and composer have been made, and the librettist created and manages a burgeoning web-site that includes social media, blogging, and press and media content.
