Sheffield Hallam students partner with English Touring Opera

Filmmaking students from Sheffield Hallam University have worked with the English Touring Opera (ETO) to create a new short film, The Knot

Press contact: Emma Griffiths | e.griffiths@shu.ac.uk

Premiering on Tuesday 6 October at Sheffield Hallam University, The Knot is a 13-minute chamber opera for two singers and string quartet exploring home, belonging and the unseen ties that bind us. 

The premiere officially kicks off the English Touring Opera’s new season, just days before their main stage productions open at the Lyceum Theatre.   

The Knot is a collaboration between ETO and Sheffield Hallam University, with a professional team working with students and filming across iconic locations in Sheffield including the town hall and Park Hill flats.  

Working with ETO gave Sheffield Hallam students invaluable industry-level experience and allowed them to apply their skills in a live production environment.  

Isaac Olayiwola Olagoke worked on The Knot as the 1st Assistant Camera whilst studying MA Filmmaking at Sheffield Hallam. Isaac said: “This project was particularly special because it gave me the opportunity to work with English Touring Opera, an organisation and an art form I knew relatively little about. One of the most valuable aspects of the experience was the opportunity to put the theoretical knowledge I’d gained during my studies into practice in a professional working environment and working closely with my lecturers.   

“Overall, The Knot was more than just another film project for me. It was an opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, explore an art form I wasn’t particularly familiar with, work alongside talented professionals and develop skills that have continued to benefit my career. I’m grateful to have been part of it.”  

The Knot is part of ETO unboxed, a programme of live and digital events exploring opera’s multidisciplinary and multi-genre possibilities. 

Robin Norton-Hale, CEO & Artistic Director of English Touring Opera, said: "We were delighted to work with the fantastic filmmaking students from Sheffield Hallam on this project. They threw themselves into it with great enthusiasm, dedication and skill, and we’d like to thank all of them for their work and the team at the Sheffield Creative Industries Institute for their support in bringing The Knot to life.  

“Filmed soon after we relocated to Sheffield, working with Sheffield Hallam on The Knot was the perfect opportunity to forge new links with our local cultural community and ground our work in our new home city." 

Stefania Ungureanu, who worked as a costume designer on The Knot whilst studying at Hallam, said: “This project was a wonderful experience since it was a fusion of filmmaking and opera, two things I’ve engaged in since I was a little girl so being part of the team felt amazing. Having the opportunity to work with professionals and our lecturers made the jump into professional filmmaking a bit less daunting.  

“Working with the ETO team was incredible and so kind which made the long film days pass by so much quicker. Working on The Knot improved my confidence, I was given a budget to pull together some pieces for the actors and loved seeing my picks go into the film. The project was a great stepping stone into the professional field as I am now so much assured and confident.”  

Ashley Barnes, Deputy Director of Sheffield Creative Industries Institute at Sheffield Hallam University, said: "It was great to work with ETO on this project. We are always looking for opportunities for our students to work in a professional environment but also on projects that challenge them in new ways. I don't think many of them were familiar with opera and so it was an eye-opening experience for them. And one in which they did themselves and the Sheffield Creative Industries Institute proud." 

BA (Hons) Film & TV Production and MA Filmmaking are part of the Sheffield Creative Industries Institute, which runs a wide range of creative undergraduate, postgraduate and apprenticeship degrees. The Institute uses creativity to develop the capacity of people to inquire, interpret, create and act responsibly to shape better futures for themselves, their communities and the more-than-human world.