World Opera Day will dawn again this year on 25 October with the aim to underline the positive value of opera for society. Opera Europa has organised a World Opera Day brainstorming session on 4 March to start planning this year’s edition.
World Opera Day is an initiative led by Opera America, Opera Europa and Ópera Latinoamérica and supported by numerous international partners from the performing arts sector and national opera networks. It asserts the power of art to make people better emotional beings, better citizens, and that a healthy mind is as important as a healthy body. Its ambition is to reach a wider audience with this positive message. On that day, opera houses and the opera world have the opportunity to showcase the ways Opera engages with its community and can be an example of positive change.
The third edition of World Opera Day will take place in a still uncertain context, but the discussions on 4 March showed that the opera sector is willing to seize the opportunity to come together to show the world that opera is alive and an actor for positive change.
For this edition, we propose to look to the future. An instant survey undertaken during the brainstorm session revealed that opera houses are concerned with building a sustainable and fair future; a future for the next generation of talent; a future where opera pioneers positive changes in society. The conversation that gathered members, non-members and partners from all over the world also made clear that education and accessibility are two principal issues on which the next World Opera Day will have to focus. Early ideas to emerge range from a series of ‘Rooftop Operas’ in different cities to a concert of talented artists from diverse locations, as well as a worldwide education workshop online, a collaborative project between international and multi-cultural opera studios, and a social media campaign with the young artists as ambassadors. We welcome your further ideas!
As a result of this constructive meeting and fruitful exchanges, we propose the following themes for this year’s World Opera Day:
Green Opera
Equal Opportunities
Jobs for the next generation of new talent
We are looking forward to hearing what you will be planning!
Opera Europa on its side is planning some special activities on 25 October. OperaVision will offer a programme with a special focus on young artists. 25 October will also mark the launch of the Next Stage initiative started with FEDORA, a project described on pages 6 and 7 of this newsletter. Finally, Opera Europa will coordinate the communications and social media campaign to maximise visibility of the opera world of which you are an essential part.
During the last year, the operating models of the opera sector have been challenged. Those opera companies which have embraced risk and innovation and transformation have a strong story to tell, as they align with priorities of the wider society. Share this story with us on World Opera Day.
Join us on 25 October!
Please contact celia@opera-europa.org for any World Opera Day matter.