Black- and Asian-led take on Wagner in Midlands aims to open up opera access

Artistic director of Birmingham production of The Flying Dutchman says he hopes to inspire people to get involved

Opera in this country is definitely not accessible," says Byron Jackson, an international baritone and the artistic director of what is thought to be the first black- and Asian-led production of Wagner in the UK.

Opening in Birmingham on Sunday, this rendition of the German-language opera The Flying Dutchman will feature a cast from across the Commonwealth, and a number of community performers from Handsworth, Balsall Heath and farther afield in the West Midlands.