Even before America’s racial reckoning began in 2020, opera companies were looking for ways to make careers accessible to non-White professionals. One approach taken by several companies and industry organizations is implementing professional development programs exclusively for people who identify as African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American.

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis launched the Clayco Future Leaders Fellowship (CFLF) program in 2021. “Opera has a history of being deemed as elitist and, quite frankly, unwelcoming to people of color,” says Administration and Fellowship Manager Tai Oney. Creating a training program to serve these individuals was seen as an important way to promote a sense of belonging, ensure other opinions and stories were shared, and hold people accountable for some of the biases they might unknowingly be injecting into the organization.

CFLF’s objective is to cultivate future arts leaders by providing in-depth experiences that advance participants’ skills, knowledge, and capabilities in areas such as fundraising, marketing, and audience cultivation. Fellows are paired with a professional mentor in their field and provided with several networking opportunities, and they help execute OTSL’s programming and season. They are paid a salary and transportation fees for their participation. Over time, Oney hopes to “create a network of alumni who will go forth into arts organizations as leaders mentoring other BIPOC future leaders, giving them opportunities, empowering their voices, and nurturing them to do the same for others.”

In Seattle, a collaborative effort between Seattle Opera, Seattle Symphony, and Pacific Northwest Ballet created the Seattle Arts Fellowship in 2021. The program has already expanded to include one more fellowship at a classical radio station. Aiyana Mehta, programs and community coordinator for Seattle Opera, describes the program as an opportunity for both professionals and sponsoring companies to grow. Fellows have mentors and networking opportunities but also act as full-time staff, giving their opinions and visions on projects.

OPERA America recently wrapped up the first year of its Mentorship Program for Opera Leaders of Color, which matched young professionals with established leaders for support and professional development. Through the program, three fellows met regularly with a mentor (remotely and in person) to identify barriers to professional growth and begin implementing an action plan to overcome them.

“I’m so grateful that Opera Leaders of Color connected me with not just one-on-one guidance, but an entire network of BIPOC administrators,” says Jaime Sharp, president and CEO of Opera NexGen, who was paired with mentor Priti Gandhi, artistic director of Portland Opera. “My experience has helped me develop realistic insight on my personal career trajectory and how to face obstacles that stand in my way.”

The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) piloted its BIPOC Designer Fellowship in 2021 to connect professional producing organizations with young designers of color. The program’s first graduate was Toni Sterling, who worked with OPERA San Antonio as an assistant lighting designer on Don Giovanni. A one-time grant funded her salary, housing, and travel for the program.

Sterling had consistent work as a theater designer in Atlanta but struggled to find regular gigs in an opera. USITT’s program provided valuable opportunities to network. “When you put me in a position where I can network outside of my bubble and you’re paying me to work, it’s beneficial,” she says. “I don’t feel like a project,” or a way for White institutions to show they aren’t racist. Since her fellowship, Sterling continues to have back-to-back commitments. Her latest is assisting lighting designer Marcella Barbeau, another woman of color, with Cabaret at The Atlanta Opera.

“What’s unique about this program is the opportunity to receive help that works as a two-way street for artists to get experience and for OSA to sustain and grow as a company,” says OPERA San Antonio General and Artistic Director E. Loren Meeker. “This is really an incredible moment for both USITT and OPERA San Antonio.”