The Big Give 2021

This year OperaUpClose is participating in the Big Give Christmas Challenge, raising money for our Directors and Producers’ Trainee Scheme, which is designed to inspire, diversify and support the next generation of opera makers.

To take part in the UK’s largest match funding campaign, which takes place in the first week of December, we need to secure £2,000 of pledges now.

So we need your help! If you are able to support us with a pledge of £100 or more*, your donation will go towards paid training and work experience for the next generation of opera makers.

Pledges are promises of funding that will contribute to our matched funding pot for December, when pledges will be matched by funders organised by the Big Give. This means that the more we can collect in pledges now, the more matched funding will be available for this project. Pledges will not be collected until after the Big Give Christmas Challenge has ended.

In order to pledge all you need to do is complete our online form by 19 August 2021.


About the Trainee Scheme

At OperaUpClose we know that opera can be inclusive, thrilling, and relevant. However, paths into a career in opera, particularly in creative and/or leadership roles, are often limited to those from economically advantaged backgrounds. A new generation of more diverse opera makers will make the art form more exciting, stronger and better able to reach the widest possible audience in the future.

Since 2015, we have offered two strands of London Living Wage-paid three-month training placements in Directing and Producing/Arts Administration, aimed at diversifying the makers of opera. The programme’s graduates have a 100% employment rate in the creative industries, with Producer roles at Royal Opera House, Donmar Warehouse and Young Vic and Director/Assistant Directors at WNO and ETO. From 2022 we want to extend this programme, and include post-placement mentoring.

We aim to:

  • Provide three trainee placements annually (one Director and two Producers), lasting four months, based in Southampton or London, paid £22,600 (pro rata), i.e. London Living Wage. These will provide routes into paid employment in the opera and wider arts industry.

  • Contribute to diversifying the makers of opera by enabling people to gain professional experience without having to work for free on internships or 'work experience', practices which have been shown to discriminate against those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

We hope you will go on this journey with us and make a difference to the future of opera.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with jane@operaupclose.com.

PLEDGE HERE

*£100 is the minimum amount set by the Big Give for Pledges. During the Christmas Challenge week in December, donations of any size can be made.

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