Community Engagement at Toledo Opera

The 2018 world premiere of I Dream, a contemporary opera about the last 36 hours in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was a critical turning point for Toledo Opera. I Dream energized our relevance beyond our core audiences into the broader local community through a public programming series driven by a community advisory committee. Our goal was to inspire dialogue and critical reflection by activating themes including civil rights, racial justice, and the legacy of Dr. King to highlight the relevance of opera to the lived experiences of contemporary Toledoans. Over 500 people participated in our events including local church choirs performing a song from I Dream, a guided Toledo Museum of Art tour featuring cast members singing I Dream excerpts portraying themes in selected artworks, and a town hall style open forum.

Based on the success of this experiment, we deepened our institutional commitment to public programming that emphasizes opera’s relevance to contemporary social issues and current events.

Through our expanded community engagement initiative, Toledo Opera will engage new audiences with opera and ensure that the demographics of our audience can be more closely representative of the city of Toledo. By convening a Community Engagement Advisory Committee to co-create resonant and culturally relevant programming; advise on institutional strategy; serve as ambassadors through boots-on-the-ground outreach; and help develop and cultivate community partnerships, Toledo Opera will become a more inclusive and accessible arts organization that is more deeply entrenched within our local community. 

Our free public programming will offer multiple points of entry to engage new audiences with opera including panel discussions, open forums, and participatory performances in venues across the city. Our community engagement initiative is an opportunity to expand the porosity between Toledo Opera and the local community.

To reach Community Engagement, please email Community Engagement.

Meet our 2024-2025 Community Engagement Advisory Committee Members

Interested in serving on the Community Engagement Advisory Committee? Please fill out and submit the form found below. If you have any questions or concerns, please call 419-255-7464 or email Leah Whitaker at lwhitaker@toledoopera.org.

Apply Here