Breath Cycle II: A singing and songwriting project for people with respiratory conditions (developed at Scottish Opera since 2021)

Breath Cycle II is a project developed by Scottish Opera and Gareth Williams, produced at Scottish Opera. Since 2021, Williams, writer Martin O Connor, and a team of vocal coaches, have delivered an online series of singing and songwriting workshops for people for people living with Long Covid symptoms, as well as other respiratory/life limiting conditions.

Breath Cycle II helps participants rebuild and develop their physical voices, alongside helping them find their creative voices. The project has been significantly funded by Scottish Government (£86,892 in 2022), and continues to be funding directly by Scottish Opera as one of their core activities. Examples of the work that Williams created in collaboration with Breath Cycle participants is all accessible here: https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/join-in/breath-cycle/the-covid-composers-songbook/

The project was launched live at St Lukes in Glasgow on 1st February 2023 with live performances that involved a collection of Scottish performers and artists, the Scottish Opera Community Choir, and members of the Scottish Opera Orchestra. In 2023, Williams led the Breath Cycle II team at Scottish Opera in a collaboration and pilot version of the project specifically for Chest Heart Stroke Scotland, to work directly with participants with Aphasia. This was very well received by the staff and service users of Chest Heart Stroke Scotland and further work is now in development.

Another album of songs has been written to be recorded in 2025, and a new live theatre show based on the songs from the project was performed across Scotland in January 2025.

The project has been discussed and shared on BBC Scotland, Radio Scotland, praised by the First Minister at First Minister's Questions at Scottish Parliament, has received five star reviews in the press, and is very well reviewed and highly appraised by it's participants and those who engage with it. It is currently scheduled to continue into 2026.

Breath Cycle won an Innovation Award at the Classical Next Conference in May 2025 in Berlin:
The Classical:NEXT Innovation Award, determined by nominations from renowned international journalists and thought leaders, and selected by the Classical:NEXT community, recognises organisations and projects that push the boundaries of classical music through innovative approaches, audience engagement, and artistic excellence.

Scottish Opera’s Breath Cycle was lauded for its pioneering work supporting people with respiratory conditions, including its innovative response to the COVID-19 pandemic by pivoting to help those suffering from Long COVID. The programme was represented at the ceremony by Jane Davidson MBE, Director of Outreach & Education at Scottish Opera, and composer Gareth Williams.

Scottish Opera shared the Innovation Award spotlight with two other recipients: OPERA APERTA (Ukraine), a contemporary opera laboratory in Kyiv known for exploring new styles in music, theatre, and interdisciplinary practices; and Clásica No Convencional (Chile), which brings classical music to unconventional spaces through immersive experiences.

This award led to a motion in Scottish Parliament in May 2025, congratulating and celebrating the Breath Cycle Project.