Submitted by tim
on
Vermont Business Magazine Opera North has announced a grant of $10,000 from the Couch Family Foundation that supports organizations serving the Upper Valley and Martha's Vineyard.
(And check out the image they use on their "Grants" page!)
In reviewing Opera North's request for general operating funds, they said, "The Couch Family Foundation seeks to work with strong, stable organizations that respond to the needs of the community. Some of the characteristics we look for include strong leadership, deep community relationships, comprehensive approaches to addressing need, and partnerships with other agencies and institutions."
Opera North usually hosts more than 7,000 people at our summer festival productions. Last year, though we managed to Sing ON under very careful and constrained conditions, we sang for just 750. That significant drop in ticket sales threatened more than just finances and awareness; it meant a re-evaluation of vision and mission.
This grant and other generous donations to match the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation challenge help Opera North move forward with the strategic plan crafted during the pandemic. The Upper Valley's hunger for live music and the fervent desire to come together as a community, the pandemic, ironically, has given a boost to using Blow-Me-Down Farm to draw people who weren't sure they liked opera or thought the arts were beyond their means.
Now we have an even better opportunity to improvise and attract the new audiences for which this National Park for the Arts is being created.
Looking Forward to Forty!
Next year, Opera North celebrates its 40th anniversary and plans are already underway to build a celebration based on a look at "where we've been and where we're going."
To help create a 'highlights reel" of short videos to bring attention to the amazing collection of artists, partners and the extraordinary opportunity of the Blow-Me-Down Farm "park for the arts" collaboration with the National Park Service, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation has awarded Opera North a $5,000 grant made possible by a gift from the Alice Hale Penniman Memorial Fund.
Stay tuned for more news about our 40th season!
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TICKETS GOING FAST FOR THE 2O21 SEASON!
Join us for great performances from July 16-August 1 at beautiful Blow-Me-Down Farm in Cornish, NH.
Tickets are $25 and $50. Purchase your tickets today!
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