Community Program

Outreach

Regular outreach concerts are performed by Sarasota Opera artists for local civic, social, and service clubs as well as for area business functions and special occasions, making performances more accessible to a broader public. Working on the belief that opera can benefit everyone, the Sarasota Opera sought to develop a relationship with individuals from diverse cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.  Designing, implementing, and continuing activities in this audience-development process required a commitment to learning more about these individuals and groups.  The idea was to plan with them, as opposed to plan for them. The program is a direct result of that communication and cooperation between local minority and community leaders and the Sarasota Opera. Significant personal contact with the youth is deemed  especially important. Our artists present a wide variety of concerts to the community free of charge.  Performing in nursing homes and retirement homes, this program is extremely well received by the many retirees in the greater Sarasota area.

OPERA-tion

The award-winning OPERA-tion Program is a curriculum-based arts education project which begins in the classroom and culminates in attendance at a live performance. Materials are provided for teachers to integrate into their classroom teaching plans. Artists visit the classrooms to interact with the students, answering questions and giving a preview of the upcoming performance. This program is designed to bring thousands of young people to the world of opera while introducing them to the language, background and historical perspective of the opera they will attend. Some students are also invited to attend select dress rehearsals of other operas in the season. For more information, please contact Karl Hesser, Director of Education, 366-8450 Ext. 249.