Our partners
The PDIPS programme is developed and delivered by Opera North and the University of Leeds as part of the DARE collaboration www.dareyou.org.uk
Opera North, England’s award-winning national opera company in the north, is committed to nurturing and showcasing emerging artistic talent, both on stage and behind the scenes. The University of Leeds, a member of the Russell Group and one of the UK’s most successful universities, is acclaimed for the high standard of its teaching and research. The combination of the skills and expertise at the highest level from both organisations, together with that of The NBR New Zealand Opera in Auckland and the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, offer a creative and intellectual environment of international repute, which ensures that the Scholar benefits from a unique and career enhancing experience.
Professor and Mrs. Barrie Pettman
The Pettman Dare International Performance Scholarship has been made possible through the generosity of Professor Barrie Pettman and his wife Maureen, who are passionate supporters of the arts in the UK and New Zealand. Barrie and Maureen Pettman, Baron and Lady of Bombie have agreed to support and fund the programme for five years through the Pettman (Classical Music) Foundation via the Opera North Future Fund.
Barrie and Maureen are also the Patrons of the Pettman Junior Academy of Music at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, generous donors to the Royal Overseas League arts programme for young people from New Zealand and committed supporters of Opera North, the Buxton Opera Festival and the East Riding of Yorkshire Choir in the UK.
Barrie after graduating with Masters and Doctorate Degrees from the City University, London spent twelve years as Lecturer in Industrial Relations at Hull University. He was Editor of numerous International Management, Economics and Sociology Journals and the author/editor of numerous books including Equal Pay for Women and co-author of Self Made Millionaires. He made his fortune in publishing as co-founder and Chairman of Emerald Publishing Group and founder of the International Institute of Social Economics. Since l982 he has been Professor of Human Resources at the International Management Centres and Visiting Professor at the Canadian School of Management . He is also President of Burke’s Peerage & Gentry Ltd.
Opera North and The NBR New Zealand Opera: the practical
Opera North’s Technical Director will work with the Scholar to develop a programme that focuses on their area of ambition and ability, drawing them into the heart of the Company to explore the many facets of music theatre. From initial planning to first night, the Scholar will have the opportunity to engage with the roles, responsibilities, interdependencies and practices of the full spectrum of functions and individuals involved in the creative and technical processes for a large-scale touring production.
Working closely with the General Director of The NBR New Zealand Opera, the Scholar will expand the knowledge and experience acquired in the UK by engaging with a non-touring Company of contrasting scale and performing pattern. The opportunity to explore the ways in which creative and technical functions work together over a more concentrated period, to revive a main-stage opera which opens at the Auckland Festival, will provide not only an international context but also a different and valuable operational perspective of the art-form in the Scholar’s own country.
University of Leeds and the University of Canterbury, Christchurch: the academic
Informed by the programme of practical experience at Opera North, a senior mentor, a specialist in music and performance technologies at the University of Leeds, will guide and support the scholar. Working closely through regular tutorials and development sessions, and un-constrained by a timetable of academic teaching, the mentor will recommend and facilitate access to individuals, events and resources that will broaden the Scholar’s academic knowledge on relevant subjects. This will potentially include participating in research seminars, dramaturgy and historical research, exploring cultural contexts and influences and entrepreneurship.
At the heart of the University of Canterbury’s renowned department of Fine Arts, Music and Theatre the Scholar shares their wealth of knowledge and experience with academics and students as part of the University’s teaching programme. This unique offer, a deep understanding of the opera production journey, allows the scholar to make a valuable and positive contribution to learning in New Zealand and to begin to equip young people for their own potential career in music theatre.