Performances for Schools
Every autumn Glyndebourne enables thousands of young people across the country to experience opera
Since 2006, Glyndebourne’s Performances for Schools have inspired and enriched the lives of over 28,000 students.
These performances are a unique experience – Glyndebourne’s world-famous auditorium filled with students from our local area experiencing all the emotion, spectacle and intensity of a Glyndebourne opera, full-length and fully staged.
As well as heavily subsidised tickets for all students, we offer the opportunity to apply for a travel grant to help towards the cost of booking transport for a trip to Glyndebourne.
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November 2023
L’elisir d’amore
Tuesday 14 November, 11.00am
Recommended age: From Year 4 (aged 8+)
Tickets: £8
Light, lyrical and bursting with energy, L’elisir d’amore – the elixir of love – is a comedy with the softest of hearts and the sweetest of melodies. This opera brings a light-hearted look at small-town life and the magic that happens when you start believing in yourself.
Don Giovanni
Wednesday 15 November, 11.00am
Recommended age: From Year 9 (aged 13+)
Tickets: £8
Mozart’s psychological thriller is an exhilarating and unsettling drama about men, women and the human cost of a life lived outside the lines. Beauty collides with violence, wit with darkness – a tangled world in which nothing and no one is quite as it seems.
Tickets will be assigned by ballot process. If you’re successful in the ballot we’ll notify you by the end of May.
We accept ticket applications from groups in full time education based within 25 miles of Glyndebourne.
Glyndebourne is in the heart of the Sussex countryside, just 10 miles outside Brighton. There’s plenty of on-site parking for coaches, and 12 acres of gardens for pupils to enjoy.
We understand that, for some children, the behaviour expected during a theatre performance may become overwhelming during their visit. To ensure that all members of the audience enjoy the experience, we provide a relaxed space adjacent to the auditorium in which students can continue to watch the opera via a live link to the stage.
To find out more about this and other resources for any children who may need additional support, please contact us at takepart@glyndebourne.com.
- Pupils will each receive a free programme with a synopsis, cast list and lots of useful information on what to watch out for.
- You will receive a signed poster for your classroom to remember the visit.
- Each of your pupils will be invited to provide feedback – we love to hear their thoughts.
Glyndebourne is dedicated to introducing young people to the arts through opera. As a Trinity Champion Centre for 2023-24, we are delighted to offer funding for up to 400 pupils attending a Performance for Schools at Glyndebourne the chance to complete an Arts Award Discover certificate alongside their visit.
Each student undertaking an Arts Award will have access to specially created worksheets and activities and our trained Arts Award advisors will work with them throughout. We understand that completing an Arts Award with a whole class may be unrealistic; we are happy to support as many pupils as are interested and there is no obligation for the whole class to complete and submit a portfolio. Click here to find out more about Arts Award at Glyndebourne.
Join the mailing list
If you are not currently on our mailing list you can sign up to receive our brochures, updates and to hear about other opportunities for teachers and students.
Please contact the Director of Development, Helen McCarthy at helen.mccarthy@glyndebourne.
Glyndebourne’s Learning & Engagement programme is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
Image credits: Header image, photo by Sam Stephenson | Festival 2023 illustrations © Katie Ponder