‘Nobody/Somebody’ is an exciting and powerful new opera created by composer Neil Martin and playwright Fionnuala Kennedy for teens and young adults. This opera will be performed by the Ulster Youth Orchestra, with youth counterparts working with every member of the creative team.

The opera is inspired and informed by the activism of the teens and young adults of the Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR) organisation in Belfast and their ongoing ‘Take Back the City’ campaign.

‘Nobody/Somebody’ tells the story of four young people who come together to campaign for better housing and living conditions. Each of these teens and young adults is experiencing a different type of housing stress or homelessness. They are encouraged and supported to take action and to try to engage the local politicians and councillors in building more social housing by a supportive adult member of the campaigning group. She has herself experienced homelessness as a young person and supports them in their fight.

Will the politicians listen? Will the young people’s voices be heard? Join us on their campaign and find out what it takes, what it can cost and where the story ends…

‘Nobody/Somebody’ will receive its world premiere at the Belfast Children’s Festival in March 2023, with a fully staged production in the Elmwood Hall, Belfast.

We are working with Springboard, a youth charity based in Belfast, to identify young people who will undertake paid roles with our creative team to bring this story to life. Throughout the commission process, we’ve been communicating and collaborating with the Belfast-based organisation PPR (Participation and the Practice of Rights), whose activism and campaigns inspired Fionnuala Kennedy to write the libretto for this exciting new commission.