Opera For All

This photo was taken during a OFA class, the students are co-creating a mural

We hear a lot about the excellent programs Chicago Opera Theater has for adults. However, today we wanted to talk about the CPS Opera For All program led by COT's Veronica Chamberlain, Associate Director of Community Programming.

OFA is a half and full-year program which takes place in Chicago Public School classrooms, 12 in total, throughout the city. For the past five years, Veronica has been working weekly with this student network to teach them art, opera history, and technical skills. In addition, the students learn acting, singing, movement, and storytelling skills through fun acting games. The program's goal is to create student-driven original work that honors the students' perspectives. Occasionally the classes include guest composers and artists to help bring the student's stories to life.

When asked about her favorite part of the Opera For All program, Veronica mentioned that she loves synthesizing the students' ideas into one cohesive work and guiding them to develop new ways of gathering their ideas while teaching them about theatrical storytelling. By empowering the students, they are proud to showcase their opera at the end of the program!