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OperaDelaware launches new jobs program for artists.

Pop-up Opera Trailer
Photo courtesy of Opera Delaware - Sam Wilson/Moonloop Photography
Pop-up Opera Trailer

The idea of the starving artist working a side job so they can afford to pursue their craft is a common one. Now, OperaDelaware is trying to put an end to that stereotype.

The opera company is rolling out a new plan that will give a select group of singers full time jobs, working behind the scenes while building their careers on stage.

“I think that we have this idea in America that to have a career in the arts, you have to suffer and starve" says Kerriann Otano, OperaDelaware’s Vice President of Engagement. "We're combating that. We're saying that you don't have to suffer to make great art. In fact, if you're part of a community that is supporting you, you're going to make better art and you're going to make art for a longer period of time.”

She notes that less than 5% of people working in the arts make a full time living from their craft, often having to work side jobs to make ends meet.

In addition to performing for concertgoers in Delaware and across the country, the artists will work behind the scenes in operations, marketing, and educational roles.

Otano says that many of the skills artists bring to the stage also bring benefits when they work in other roles.

“The thing that's so amazing about artists in general is that they are so adaptable and creative and have this really like ‘yes and’ kind of mentality," she says. "That's what is required of being a performing artist.”

Four of the six selected artists have already been chosen, and their musical work will be featured in a number of concerts early next year.

Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Martin Matheny comes to Delaware Public Media from WUGA in Athens, GA. Over his 12 years there, he served as a classical music host, program director, and the lead reporter on state and local government. In 2022, he took over as WUGA's local host of Morning Edition, where he discovered the joy of waking up very early in the morning.