How is opera introduced and contextualised? And does the aspiration towards universality require us to rethink operatic practice, to broaden its audiences, or to reconsider the relationship between the two?Focusing on education and accessibility, we first approach the themes of language, music and universality from an ‘off-stage’ perspective. We examine education as the transmission – and transformation – of operatic and classical music knowledge across different audiences, with particular attention to younger spectators.  

If some knowledge can be learned before we enter the theatre, some is then offered during the performance. What is the role of language in opera as a multilingual artform? How is its potential barrier dealt with in the operatic experience? We look at how subtitles take away one barrier regarding accessibility, while possibly creating another. And is its role purely functional, or does it also carry artistic or aesthetic meaning? We hope to shed light on this omnipresent but often overlooked component of the operatic practice.  

This programme is part of the  Opera Forward Festival 2026. The Opera Forward Festival Think Tank is an international group of students from across the Netherlands whose academic and artistic practices critically explore arts, culture, politics, identity, and performance.