Making Opera Accessible

A discussion for the pandemic and beyond

On December 1, 2020, Opera Mariposa was delighted to host a discussion about disability, accessibility and inclusion in the operatic art form. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, as well as a worldwide reckoning with systemic inequities, our panel delved into everything from bringing music to high-risk audiences, to how a historic art form can embrace the future of storytelling. Featuring nationally-recognized panelists such as multi-award-winning Disabled writer-performer-producer Ophira Calof, award-winning Deaf artist and opera creator Landon Krentz, pianist/performer/producer and Health Arts Society of BC artistic director Karen Lee-Morlang and more, this timely conversation brought together diverse artists and advocates to grapple with crucial questions – and share solutions for a more inclusive future. 

Access: Run time approx. 90 minutes. Presented in English and ASL, with English captions and ASL interpretation, and visual descriptions of participants. Content warnings in video description.

Note: this discussion was filmed several years ago in 2020, and reflects views held and knowledge available at that time. For more current resources on COVID-19 and accessibility, visit our Resources Hub.