The issue of a lack of diversity within our cultural landscape is one that, rightfully, refuses to abate. The responsibility of telling more people’s stories than currently make it onto our stages is now rightfully seen as an undeniable part of programming. But what for the ethnic minority performers making their way in the current climate.

For Canadian opera singer Neema Bickersteth the question has always been ‘how can I reconcile my background with classical Western culture?’. It’s a question that has led her to create Century Song – a live-performance hybrid that’s part classical song, part dance piece and part projection. Through the eyes of a female protagonist the show tries to imagine a different way she can negotiate through her history to her present.

“It feels so good to perform without needing to pretend the colour of my skin,” Bickersteth says. “This is what I used to do in historical opera. Nobody told me to do this, but I just automatically did it to fully embody the characters that I played. In creating a performance like this I gave myself the freedom to see myself. I hope that no matter how we self-identify, we can continue to realize this freedom.”

Run-Riot sat down to talk to her about how she made the show and what it means to perform it.

Honour Bayes: How did you first get into opera? When did you know you wanted to be an opera singer?

Neema Bickersteth: I was already singing classical art song as a teenager, so I auditioned for voice programs for University. At the University of British Columbia, the head of the program told me that I was immediately accepted, but into the opera program instead! It seemed pretty flattering so I went for it, even though at the time I didn’t really know anything about opera.

Honour: Your selection of music for Century Song is varied to say the least! What in your mind links all these composers?

Neema: The songs were chosen because they are wordless (mostly). The choreographer and I chose varying wordless songs and they all happened to span almost a century. The show became about a woman inhabiting different time periods and personae perhaps in search of something like herself, her truth.

Honour: You say that you like to sing without words. In many ways it could be argued that the repetitious use of language in opera transcends it's meaning into sounds of expressed emotion and not words anymore. What made you decide to discard language entirely?

Neema: Sure, I suppose that is partly true. But if there are words they will have some type of influence. Kate Alton, who does the choreography, was interested in how the music inspired her. I chose other song cycles with words but Kate felt a bit bound by the words. So I found some songs without. And for me, well, there was enough to learn without text!

Honour: They say a picture says more than a thousand words and you use projection within the show, as well as dance. Can you talk to us a bit about how the visual and the aural meet and mix in Century Song?

Neema: It’s a bit like a music video, or a pop concert. When we speak we communicate with our bodies too. So the movement sometimes further explains or betrays what you hear. The projections take us through time showing some visual art for each time period that we land in. They also become the room or space in which this woman resides.

Honour: What process did you enact while making the work - was it collaborative, improvisational or directed and neatly planned out, or all of the above!

Neema: Everything! The songs were first choreographed, and then interstitial music was created through improvisation. The projection design was sometimes neatly planned sometimes collaborative and there was also collaboration for the fine tuning of everything.

Honour: Within the huge amount of research you did for this piece what was the most important thing you learnt?

Neema: That dreaming can lead to creating and the dreams coming true.

Honour: Having done Century Song, what has it encouraged you to do next?

Neema: In Search of our Mother’s Gardens by Alice Walker is an essay that is one of my art inspirations. I will continue to search for what my mother has created, my father, my ancestors, my teachers, my children, and my spirit.

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Century Song (Londond Premiere), 7:30pm, Friday 13th May, artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, London N12 0GA

Tickets and Info: artsdepot.co.uk