Sizewell Creative announces King Arthur Reimagined community production at Snape Maltings

• New cultural project to bring together local communities and professional artists to reimagine a classical work for Suffolk in July
• Performances will take place on Wed 8 July at 2pm and 7pm 

Sizewell Creative, an initiative from the Sizewell C nuclear power project, has today announced King Arthur Reimagined, a community-led cultural production that will conclude in a one-day site takeover at the world-famous Snape Maltings Concert Hall, home of Britten Pears Arts, the Suffolk-based music, arts and heritage charity.

Produced by First Light Festival CIC in partnership with Britten Pears Arts, the project takes Henry Purcell’s King Arthur through the voices, stories, and creativity of East Suffolk voices. They will be joined by professional artists, local schools, local organisations, and the Sizewell C workforce, in a shared cultural experience celebrating deep-rooted traditions of folk and craft within Suffolk communities.

Sizewell Creative is running a series of workshops that the community and Sizewell C workforce can get involved in, which will include willow weaving, fabric dyeing, creative writing, and singing as part of the Sizewell Creative choir.

Rosalind Parker, Creative Director of Sizewell Creative, said: “What’s been most exciting about this project is witnessing what a community can do to bring King Arthur to life in this production — the energy, creativity, and ownership that local people have brought to it has been brilliant.

“We aren’t just performing Purcell, we are reimagining it through the voices, stories, and creativity of the people who live and work here – and who will now have an opportunity to perform alongside seasoned artists.”

Anna Dennis – a soprano and recipient of the 2023 Royal Philharmonic Society’s Singer Award who was once described by The Times as “a delectable soprano and a serene, ever-sentient presence” – will feature in the production, providing continuity from last year’s Aldeburgh Festival Gabrieli Consort’s King Arthur, whilst shining new light on the text through new performers and participants. Alongside three other soloists, Anna is “inspired by the vision to bring this joyous text back to its celebratory participatory roots”.

The performances will be conducted by Tim Brown, former Director of Music at Clare College, Cambridge, and include partners Gecko Theatre, Aldeburgh Music Club, DanceEast, Vanhulle Dance Theatre and Norwich Baroque.  It is the second opera from Sizewell Creative, following a performance of Noye’s Fludde at Thorington Theatre in 2024.

The production will begin outdoors with a community procession before moving into Snape Maltings Concert Hall for the matinee and evening performances, both of which will feature an orchestra, soloists, dancers, and a community chorus. It will conclude with a celebratory folk-inspired finale, bringing audiences back outside for what the producers are calling ‘a shared moment of music and performance’.

Andrew Comben, CEO, Britten Pears Arts, said, “We’re delighted to be working with Sizewell Creative and First Light Festival to welcome such a vibrant mix of artists, organisations, and community groups from across Suffolk and beyond to Snape Maltings. This project captures what Britten Pears Arts stands for — a place where everyone can make music, whether they’re world-class professionals, young and emerging artists, or members of our local community. King Arthur Reimagined celebrates creativity at every level, and we’re proud to see Snape alive with that shared spirit of participation and imagination.”

This event welcomes local audiences and performers as well as Patrons and Britten Pears Arts regulars. All are invited to be part of the shows, to enjoy the performances, and to continue Benjamin Britten’s legacy of using the arts to effect powerful positive change in, and for, society.

Tickets for the 7pm showing of King Arthur Reimagined can be purchased from the Britten Pears website here. All proceeds from ticket sales will help to support access to future BPA shows through subsidised tickets for local students and families.