Holding Space

November 2021-February 2022

From 2021-2022, Loose Tea Music Theatre and Opera Mariposa teamed up to present our #HoldingSpace series for disabled and chronically ill artists in the Canadian opera industry. We’d like to thank everyone who joined us online to network, foster dialogue, build community and discuss actionable ideas for #MakingOperaAccessible. Stay tuned to find out where we’re taking this project next; if you’d like to be notified about updates, be sure to sign up for the Mariposa newsletter.

Read below to learn more about the format of past sessions:

Who is invited?

Canadian opera artists, arts workers, creators and students (at home and abroad) who identify as disabled/living with a disability or chronic illness. This includes artists with invisible disabilities or health conditions, including mental illness; neurodivergent artists; artists with undiagnosed disabilities; and artists who aren’t sure whether they’re “disabled enough” to participate.

Who should step back?

Non-disabled allies and professional company representatives. While we appreciate your allyship, our goal for these events is to create a space where underrepresented artists feel they can speak openly about their experiences.

Accessibility

Each 90-minute session takes place on Zoom with automatic captions; links will be sent out by email before the event. ASL interpretation is available on request, sponsored by Tapestry Opera; please email requests to admin@looseteamusictheatre.com 72 hours in advance. Attendees are encouraged to feel comfortable turning their cameras on or off as they prefer, and to take breaks as needed. Registration for each session is FREE.

#HoldingSpace #MakingOperaAccessible