Opera Etc.

The Civic Engagement Artist Residency includes both a virtual residency focused on the invention, development and execution of a 10-minute digital work, and an in person residency, where artists will be creating site-specific work for Voices in Nature, preparing and performing in a concert at the Baumann, and be engaged with various community partners.

Pacific Opera has yearly residencies available for both individual artists and artistic collectives. Artists with projects at various stages of development are encouraged to apply – whether at the conceptual, creation, development, refinement, or redevelopment stage of a work.

Applications for the 2022 Residencies have passed.

Pacific Opera supports early career practitioners to develop their opera practice through extended residencies of up to one year with the organization. We offer residencies and internships tailored to the artist’s interests and expertise, and opportunities to work alongside some of Canada’s most accomplished opera artists. Residencies will provide immersive opportunities for skills development, mentorship, and the advancement of professional networks.

Pacific Opera will provide successful applicants with work space for the duration of the residency, provide return transportation, and assistance in securing accommodation. Pacific Opera will collaborate with successful applicants to plan the residency, timelines, establishing mentor relationships, and guidance on career planning.

Financial Support

Financial support is contingent upon grants successfully awarded by third party funding programs. A minimum of eight months lead time is required to make applications for financial support from programs including, but not limited to the following:

• British Columbia Arts Council – Early Career Development Program
• Canada Council for the Arts – Supporting Artistic Practice
• Employment and Social Development Canada – Canada Summer Jobs Program

Pacific Opera welcomes applications from stage directors, designers, conductors, collaborative pianists and arts administrators who have completed training in their discipline with a recognized arts program.

How to Apply

Residencies are accepted year-round, on a rolling basis. Early Career professionals are encouraged to contact Ereca Hassell, Director of Artistic Administration, in advance of making a formal application to confirm eligibility.

Application Stage 1 – Provide a written statement (up to 750 words) outlining your artistic-career objectives, and describe how a residency with Pacific Opera Victoria will help you meet those objectives.

Application Stage 2 – Successful applicants will be invited to:

• Attend a telephone or in-person interview with Pacific Opera personnel
• Submit a resume or artistic CV, including relevant education, artistic works, and related experience.
• Submit two letters of recommendation from recognized authorities in your discipline, commenting on your ability and on the value of the residency for professional development.
• Submit up to five (5) minutes of audio-visual support

Adjudication

Adjudication is conducted internally by staff representing artistic disciplines of opera, classical music, new music, conducting, piano, voice, stage direction, design, production, classical and contemporary theatre.

Evaluation

Upon completion of the residency, artists in residence are requested to provide a public demonstration of their work, in a format chosen by mutual agreement of the artist and Pacific Opera, such as a workshop, performance, audio/visual recording, written report or white paper.

Artist Inquiries – Ereca Hassell, Director of Artistic Administration

In the 2018 / 2019 season only 6.2% of conductors in the largest six Canadian opera companies were women. There are no female Music Directors currently in the top 10 Canadian opera companies, and the number of female-identifying music directors or assistant conductors in the top 12 Canadian Symphony orchestras who were born and trained in Canada is only 1. We want this to change.

Women in Musical Leadership is a program designed to offer opportunities to top Canadian talent and address the longstanding gender imbalance in music direction and conducting in opera and classical music. It’s an advanced three-year fellowship program for 6 music directors/conductors in cohorts of 2, beginning a year apart. With the support of like-minded organizations across Canada, the goal of Women in Musical Leadership is to provide multi-faceted practical conducting training, mentorship, and professional opportunities to promising conducting talent, allowing them to focus solely on conducting for three years.

Applications for the 2022 cohort are closed.

In its inaugural year, The Arts Leadership Training Program hopes to help move the future of the arts in a positive direction for all, and to give BIPoC creatives a seat at a table they historically have been excluded from: arts leadership. Designed with a dual system of seminars and internships, mentorship is a key element of this program, allowing the participants to create strong relationships with the professionals that they are involved with throughout the year. With arts and educational institutions across the country taking part, this program fosters career growth and real-life experience for upcoming arts leaders.

Pacific Opera Victoria is looking for submissions of musical works exploring the voice, drama, and the stage to be part of a workshop and concert in April 2023. We want to support new compositional works and explorations that embrace the unique tools of the operatic art form, and the artists that create them. Participants will have an opportunity to establish professional connections and gain insight into composing as a career path through this workshop and performance opportunity.

Pacific Opera Victoria is pleased to be offering “Earn and Learn Placements” through the Association for Opera in Canada (AOC) Opera Artist Resilience Program, funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage. These placements allow artists to be embedded within an organization to help them improve or develop employable skills by providing learning and professional development opportunities of up to 80 hours for $2500.

Feedback Auditions are held in time for participants to prepare for real auditions with education institutions and opera companies. Each participant performs an audition and receives individual written feedback from a panel of opera and theatre professionals. Feedback may cover presentation, body language, CV, Headshot, repertoire choices, and more. A follow-up group feedback clinic examines CVs and bios in more detail and allows participants to analyze and build upon their audition experiences.

To be Announced

Artists are asked to email rebecca@pacificopera.ca to confirm attendance.

Wingate Studio, the Baumann Centre, 925 Balmoral Road