A new opera, featuring a script entirely derived from interviews with a young HIV positive man who contracted the virus aged just eighteen, premiered at the International Anthony Burgess Centre on 24th August. Using a radical new style of music, and verbatim theatre, local composer Michael Betteridge set the words of the Mancunian interviewee to music in which his story, of being diagnosed and living with the virus, was told.  

Verbatim theatre involves interviewing individuals and then having actors perform their words as precisely as possible in order to present interesting stories to audiences which they may not otherwise hear.  It is one of the first times this has been attempted with opera.  As well as undertaking over five hours of interviews with his subject, who was born and grew up in Greater Manchester, Betteridge has also spoken with various other people in Manchester living with HIV, as well as the wider LGBT community, through support from George House Trust.  

Michael Betteridge, composer, said:
“Despite being an out gay man with many HIV positive friends, I was so clueless to so many of the facts surrounding living with the virus.  I’m hoping this work will enlighten the audience about what it’s like to live with HIV in Manchester in 2016.

I have been fascinated with verbatim theatre for years and always wanted to see how I could merge it with my output as a composer.  I also believe this young man’s story is such a fascinating one to tell, and, as he does not want to out himself as HIV positive due to possible discrimination, this medium is a fantastic way of sharing his experiences.”

Nick Blackburn who is a long-time collaborator of performance artist David Hoyle directs the project, entitled In Their Own Words, which also features work by composer Anna Braithwaite who explores living with dementia.  The project is supported with funds from Arts Council England, Sound and Music’s Composer-Curator programme as well as support from Manchester Pride’s ‘Superbia’ fund that supports local arts events with LGBT and/or HIV themes.  

The production will be at Quarterhouse in Folkestone on 16th September and Hackney Showroom, London on 1st October.  For more information please visit www.intheirownwords.uk

Thursday 25th August 2016

7.00pm – 9.30pm

Club Brass, Hotel Gotham, 100 King Street, Manchester M2 4WU

Join us for the first of a new regular event.  'Drinks with George' will be a social evening for members of the LGBT community, as we explore some of Manchester's finest venues and hidden gems.  Our first event is at the exclusive Hotel Gotham's 'Club Brass'.  Enjoy a specially designed cocktail alongside a wine or beer and canapes in opulent surroundings, including roof top terraces offering some of the finest views across the city.  Relax, meet new people and find out more about the work we are doing with people living with HIV in the community.

George House Trust's 'Living HIV Confident' course aims to help you better understand more about living with, and managing, HIV and provides a space for you to explore with other people some of the issues a positive diagnosis raises.  The first people to access this brand new ‘Living HIV Confident’ course at George House Trust have given it some amazing feedback:

“I would highly recommend this course to anybody recently diagnosed.  My confidence surrounding HIV has increased massively.  Also my understanding of the virus from terminology to healthy living is a lot clearer.”  

“I feel more confident than I felt before and I now understand more about HIV.  The most memorable part for me was when the facilitator told me that I should start believing in myself more and not let HIV take over my life because that is how I have been living since my diagnosis.  I would recommend this course to anyone who feels like they don’t have confidence in themselves, especially newly diagnosed people.”

We’re pleased to announce that our second Living HIV Confident course will be starting on 6th October.  If you’re interested in attending, you can sign up for it here.

Four-time Olympic champion, Greg Louganis, is widely considered to be the greatest diver in history. Read his story, courtesy of vox.com here.