OperaDelaware's education department seeks to enrich the lives of Delaware's children and adults through high quality, accessible arts education, which focuses on cultivating a lifelong appreciation of opera and creating audiences for the future.
Students engaged in the arts discover skills that help them in every other facet of their lives. OperaDelaware's programs and field trips let students experience opera performances both in their own school and at The Grand Opera House. They can also learn about opera from real opera singers, take a backstage tour and even perform operas themselves.
- Youth Program: OperaDelaware's Youth Program gives children (Grades 3-12) a chance to develop key performance and technical skills while building confidence in a nurturing environment. Whether they're just trying to get their feet wet or a dedicated theatre enthusiast, OD's Youth Program is designed to enhance their abilities and help them begin to explore a new, wide world of opportunities. The fall and winter sessions (8 hours a week for 8 weeks). Our summer program will be held in July as both 1-week and 2 week sessions. All programs are held at our Studio Space on the Wilmington Riverfront. We will offer the same quality experience for our youth, but in different locations appealing to a broader market, reaching a new demographic and exposing hundreds more to the power of opera.
- Student Rehearsals: This program opens the door to a new experience, one that for many students makes the difference between having been to the opera/theatre and never having had the opportunity. The beauty of its long-term nature is that students can come again and again. They can see their second opera, then their third, and over time they begin to see what this art form is all about and how it just might matter to them. They don't have to belong to a certain category- honor roll, drama club, AP class - the door is open to everyone. We also invite all attendees to a pre-performance lecture, Teaching Humanities through Opera, 1 hour before curtain, funded by the Delaware Humanities Forum. These lectures help students make connections with their curriculum, their communities, but more importantly, themselves. They provide stimulating discussion topics that connect students in personal ways to the opera and show them how opera has become a part of our identities, traditions, history and culture.
- Opera Workshops: This comprehensive, three-part educational workshop is linked to OperaDelaware's main-stage productions. First, an Ensemble Artist will travel to your classroom, perform excerpts from the opera and present a brief Opera 101 session; then, your students will visit The Grand, be given a backstage tour and attend our Teaching Humanities through Opera lecture (see Student Dress Rehearsal for more info); finally, it culminates with your students experiencing the Student Dress Rehearsal of our Main Stage Productions first-hand!
This is an intensive, year-round arts education program individually designed to help underserved schools within Wilmington: it is a creative collaboration between OperaDelaware's professional artists, teachers and students. These programs nurture the personal and creative growth of individual children and turn classrooms into creative, stimulating, positive and productive learning environments.
- Opera in Classrooms: This is an intensive year-round arts education program that uses music, storytelling, and improvisation to spur comprehension, thinking, speaking, writing and expression culminating with original operas created, composed and performed by the students.
- Opera in Curriculum: This new course was inspired by comments from the Warner teachers who noticed that during our Opera in Classrooms Residencies, students come alive, connecting personally with the material that they are exploring and seeing students who struggle academically become excited about learning. This Professional Development opportunity will be a free, single-day workshop during the summer and will focus on teaching methods that integrate opera and creativity into their curriculum - providing real breakthroughs in students' comprehension, reading skills and new ways for teachers to connect with their students.
- Opera in Schools: The children of our Youth Program tour their winter production to select schools within Wilmington. They perform for the schools' student bodies and involve their 5th grade classes as chorus members. This multi-disciplinary program includes an in-depth school education packet that introduces students to arts and culture of the production while they decorate their school for their own performance. Our aim is to engage all of the school by working closely with their music and art teachers. By participating in a performance as chorus members and as "designers" for their performance, the children become actively involved which encourages ownership and investment among all involved.
- Opera in Community: OperaDelaware will introduce parents whose children participate in the Wilmington Youth Opera Project to operatic concepts through a variety of musical styles starting with pop and spirituals and ending with operatic arias, followed by a summary of The Merry Widow and tickets to see the Dress Rehearsal with their family.
These children are our community, our future. They will be inspired by the arts for years to come in whatever profession they choose, because the arts unleash their imaginations and the greater the imagination, the greater the innovation; the greater the innovation, the likelier they are to develop techniques and products that keep Delaware competitive in the 21st century.
OperaDelaware's community engagement programs enrich the opera experience for life-long aficionados, first timers and everyone in between. Our programs deliver dynamic presentations to groups across the region every year - at no cost! Topics of high-energy presentations which are geared toward adults ranging from high school students to senior citizens include explorations into OperaDelaware's season productions, basic opera primers and advanced master classes. The program's flexibility even allows groups to tailor presentations to fit their specific interests. These initiatives give members of our community an opportunity and an entry point which leads to increasing involvement with our Company.
- Community Lectures: Whether in bookstores, high schools, libraries, country clubs or retirement centers, these talks about OperaDelaware's current operas are presented by a core of OperaDelaware's artists who are dedicated to sharing the magic and joy of opera with our patrons. Each season, presentations are given in various locations throughout Delaware to more than 1,250 people.
- Inside Opera Live, Pre-opera Lectures. Opera Delaware offers free pre-opera lectures for all Main Stage operas, funded in part by the Delaware Humanities Forum. One hour before every performance at The Grand a scholar will give a free 30-minute talk on the opera that follows. Many attendees rate these engaging lectures as one of their highlights in attending OperaDelaware's performances. "OperaDelaware's lectures led to a greater understanding and appreciation of the opera. Thanks so much!"
OperaDelaware's community engagement programs allow adults of all backgrounds and interests to connect to OperaDelaware and vice versa. As a result, the programs generate much excitement, yield strong box office returns, reach new patrons, garner media attention and increase patron involvement and support.
Thank you for getting involved and sharing the joy and magic of opera!