Kickstarting the love of the Arts
Kickstart Opera is a non profit organisation led by founder Zara Wardrop, creating accessible performing arts education for
young people and bringing music and culture into local communities.
Education
We create projects for young people, with their minds and voices at the core. We never want a child to miss out on an opportunity to experience performing arts due to financial barriers.
We offer extra-curricular sessions for children to boost their development and help them learn transferable life skills, all at a low, sustainable cost. Scholarships are available.
Community
Our aim is to engage local communities by providing access to a variety of music genres. We also want to support and preserve cultural hubs in the community.
Coffee Cadenzas is a community concert series, born in West Kilbride at the Barony Centre (Craft Town Scotland).
Coffee Cadenzas invites musicians from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to share their music with the local community via free concerts
Future Impact
We want to help emerging artists, educators, and leaders succeed by giving them the opportunities and resources they need. We also aim to support and hire local talent, strengthening our community and positive impact.
Performing Arts Education
Performing Arts Education’s Kickstart programme offers young people an exciting opportunity to explore the performing arts through creative, practical activities. Participants can develop their confidence, creativity and performance skills, explore music, drama and storytelling, and experience the joy of working collaboratively to bring ideas to life.
Children's Opera Holiday Schools
We create 30-minute productions inspired by real operas, thoughtfully adapted for specific age groups. Each experience is child-led and tailored to the individual needs, interests and abilities of the children, nurturing vocal development, imagination and curiosity. Through playful, creative exploration, children are encouraged to discover their own ideas, build confidence and take an active role in shaping their performance journey.
Community Concerts
Coffee Cadenzas is a community concert series by Kickstart Opera CIC, established at the Barony Centre in West Kilbride in 2023. The series invites musicians from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to perform for the local community in a welcoming setting surrounded by artwork, with a cup of coffee to enjoy. Its aim is to make a variety of musical genres accessible to local audiences, support community cultural spaces and provide professional performance opportunities for emerging artists. The series has also brought performances to venues such as the Burrell Collection in Glasgow.
What We Offer
