Looking back at 2019 and envisioning 2020
Dear Friends of White Snake Projects:
It has been a remarkable year of growth for our company as we continue to forge our identity as an activist opera company. Thank you for joining us!
We premiered I Am A Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams, Jorge Sosa‘s powerful opera on immigration and dislocation and WSP’s response to President Trump’s revocation of DACA.
We launched the song series – Sing Out Strong, commissioning and presenting 10 songs for SOS: Immigrant Voices across Boston and on our mainstage. We’re continuing SOS in 2020, with Sing Out Strong: DeColonized Voices, as we explore the effects that colonialism has on all of us, both colonizers and colonized. The Call for composers and writers can be found HERE.
Another exciting WSP project we’ve just initiated is: Let’s Celebrate! Living Holiday Traditions in America. While Christmas is an important holiday tradition for many Americans, there are many other holidays celebrated in the United States today. We want to hear about the celebrations that are important to you, your family, and your culture. We’ll present three or four 20 minute operas based on significant celebrations in our communities every year starting in 2020. The Call can be found HERE.
An important reminder: This Call closes on December 15. However, if you need a few days more to submit your application, please email me at [email protected].
Finally, a wonderful year-end present: Opera America announced the two grantees who’ve been awarded the first IDEA Opera grants. (IDEA stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equality, and Access.) They are composer Kui Dong and librettist Monica Datta for HuTong (Narrow Alley) and composer Daniel Reza Sabzghabaei and librettists Mina Salehpour and Yashar
Saghai for The Veil. The grants, initiated and supported by the Charles and Cerise Jacobs Charitable Foundation, support and promote new works by the most promising composers and librettists of color.
White Snake Projects is evolving with you, dear audience members. We’re grateful for your support as we continue on this journey together.
Be safe, be warm, be blessed.
Cerise