The Canadian Opera Company (COC) has appointed Toronto’s Amplified Opera to the COC Academy as part of a newly developed two-year “Disruptor-in-Residence” program.
The residency builds on the COC’s company-in-residence program that was first launched in 2016. The first (and only) company to be appointed was Toronto’s Against the Grain Theatre, which used the residency to share administration resources with the COC.
According to COC Deputy General Director Christie Darville, the original program evolved organically to become the disruptor-in-residence program that seeks to support increased equity, diversity, and inclusivity within the arts through workshops and training.
“As a national performing arts organization, it is our responsibility to boost the voices of those that regularly challenge artistic norms, practices — and us,” said Darville. “In naming Amplified Opera our Disruptor-in-Residence, we are committed to supporting the work to make opera more relevant and resonant than ever.”
Co-founded by Teiya Kasahara 笠原 貞野, Marion Newman, Asitha Tennekoon and Aria Umezawa, Amplified Opera was launched in October 2019. The group seeks to put diverse artists at the forefront of productions that resemble and address the experience of BIPOC artists who have been grossly under-represented in opera.
“We are pushing to decolonize how we create and share opera by welcoming and including the voices of creators and opera fans in all aspects of the performance,” explained Amplified Opera’s co-founders. “We look forward to this unique residency with the Canadian Opera Company which will allow us to work together in a way that is slow and deliberate. By building a foundation of trust, we will navigate the difficult and challenging conversations that are integral to interrupting the status quo and forging new, generative paths forward.”
Amplified Opera will be hosting an online discussion for the COC titled “Gender and Opera” on March 5, 2021. Tune in here.
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