Dr Daniel Somerville (University of Worcester) offers an insight into opera and its rich history of queer aesthetics and conventions. The talk will explore the gender bending traditions of the castrati and the cross-dressing ‘trouser roles’, as well as exposing the history of queer inference in opera, representations of homosexuality, and the influence of lesbian and gay fans and composers. The talk is part of Worcestershire Pride’s Festival of Arts & Culture 2017.