Indiegogo

442017

Little Opera

San Francisco's All-Kids' Opera Company

  • Team:

    852767 20120503122623-fracturedatlas see more »

  • Location:San Francisco, California, United States

  • Category:Education

SF Childrens Opera--A Little Opera Company is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of SF Childrens Opera--A Little Opera Company must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Dear Supporters,

I started Little Opera one month ago, with the goal of creating a professional children's opera company where everything is done by kids. I quickly ran into recruiting problems--every San Francisco family I knew of with artistic, creative children had already booked them up with a plethora of after school enrichment activities around the city. They were interested, they could afford it, but they were too busy. Then I got our first inquiry to waive tuition fees.  This is what I read, right below the checked box that says the family survives on food stamps:

X is the middle of five children. The arts seem to be the area where she belongs. It's where she can stand out from her siblings.  This opportunity would really boost her self esteem and set her on a path that she will probably continue for life. 


That is when I changed my mind about what I wanted to do. I didn't just want to start a professional opera company for kids, I wanted to start a professional opera company for kids like X-- the precocious, creative child who is probably not signed up for any after-school arts programming because the classes are either prohibitively expensive, or at a location their parents can't get them to on time. 

If X hasn't been able to find a program that can serve her in a city as arts-rich as San Francisco, there is clearly a need for more programs that can. We are thrilled she will be joining Little Opera next week for free (the cost of her tuition is 100% subsidized because of people like you), and can only hope she is the first of many such kids we get to work with.

Thank you in advance for donating to Little Opera, and supporting the work we do.


Sincerely,

Erin Bregman
Founder, Little Opera



What happens at Little Opera?

Over the course of seven months, our students will work together twice a week to create, rehearse, and perform an original opera. They will do everything themselves, from beginning to end. Over the course of the year, Little Opera students will: 

  • Write an original story
  • Turn it into a libretto
  • Compose music to transform their libretto into a sung piece
  • Choreograph dances and movement
  • Design simple sets and costume pieces
  • Build simple sets and costume pieces
  • Peer-direct scenes throughout the rehearsal process
  • Perform their original opera


How will they do all of that?

Like anyone else does--one step at a time. Little Opera co-founders Erin Bregman and Alona Bach will lead the company through the steps of opera creation, with help from local professional working artists. In fact, half of our fall classes will be specialized Master Classes that focus on elements like:

  • Stage Combat
  • Costume Design
  • Dance & Choreography
  • Set Design
  • Masks and Puppetry
  • Music Composition
  • Singing Technique


It sounds like a great project. How can I help?

You can help make Little Opera a success in three ways:
1. Support the project financially.

We need $10,000 to make our program totally free for 12 students this year. We will be writing grants to fund future years of the program, but this year we need private funding.

2. Volunteer for us.

There are a million things we would like to do to make Little Opera better, but we don't have time to do it all ourselves. We will gladly put your time and skills to use.
3. Spread the word.

If it takes a village to raise a child, and a village to create theater, then raising a children's opera company must take at least a small town. The easiest (but not only) way is to spread the word is by using the "Share with friends" buttons above. 


How will the money be spent?

Here is the breakdown of exactly what your $10,000 will go towards:

  • Rental of classroom space 2x a week, September-March - $1,900
  • 12 Fall Master Classes taught by professionals in the field - $600
  • Working with a professional composer for three weeks - $300
  • Making sure we're covered liability-wise - $500
  • General start-up costs (boring things like website costs and city registration) - $150
  • Promoting the Class and Recruiting Low-Income Students - $550
  • About half of all our administration costs - $1,800
  • Two lead teachers for 44 classes - $4,200

And Finally...

We really mean it when we say that every little bit helps. Because it does. Really. We have big dreams for the future of Little Opera (high school mentoring partnerships, multi-year programs, school touring productions), but it all starts right here. Your contribution goes a long way toward the funding of one more student, and we thank you!


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About Us


Erin Bregman (founder) is a San Francisco playwright and Teaching Artist. As an educator, she has led over 40 classes through the creation of original operas. She has taught and developed curriculum for San Francisco Opera's ARIA program, where the astoundingly high quality of mini-operas her classes kept churning out became the impetus to begin Little Opera. Her own work has been produced throughout the Bay Area, and developed at The Lark in New York. Erin is a company member of PlayGround and Just Theater, and is a current resident playwright at the Playwrights Foundation


Alona Bach (co-founder) is a recent graduate of Berkeley High School and is currently on a gap year before heading East to Harvard. She has taught in various programs across the Bay Area, and has acted with California Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Playhouse, Just Theater, Symmetry Theater, and Paper Mill Playhouse. She will think of something witty or interesting to say about herself at some point in the near future.


Our Mission 


We will rigorously engage children in the arts by immersing them in the creation of an original opera. We will train children in the multiple art forms necessary to complete the project (dramatic writing & storytelling, acting, singing, music composition, dance, and design), and provide the experience of performing in a professionally-minded company. A Little Opera Company will be a place where children take the creative lead in an environment where all work is held to the highest of standards. In committing to seven months together, our students will also acquire the perseverance, trust, and follow-through needed to successfully complete long-term collaborative projects. We are committed to making our program accessible to all students, and will subsidize tuition fees where needed.

Team on This Campaign: