Fundraising

Excerpt from a funded proposal for the No.1 Ladies’ Opera Festival in Botswana:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: [____] is actively seeking a travel grant for an opera project in Botswana in the Spring of 2013. This pilot project is designed to both test and research the possibility of sustained cultural exchange between the United States and Botswana through musical performance.

The very first No. 1 Ladies’ Opera Festival* will take place in April 2013 in Gaborone, Botswana. This event will help us investigate the opportunity to create an annual event that bridges traditional African and Western opera traditions. The 2013 project will feature exciting performances by local and international artists as well as workshops and master classes in vocal technique and operatic repertoire.   It will culminate in an energetic closing ceremony featuring both classical and traditional music. A documentary will be made in order to share the stories of these Tswana opera singers, relating the theme of powerful women in opera to contemporary gender issues in Southern Africa. The proposed project is part of a larger research program developed by the Global Women’s Research Institute at Claremont Graduate University.

OBJECTIVES:

• Present concerts featuring artists from North America, Europe and Africa
• Offer master classes for emerging musicians in vocal technique and repertoire
• Promote and document cultural exchange on the theme of ‘Powerful Women in Opera,’ raising awareness about women’s issues in Southern Africa
• Develop an arts component for the gender studies research being conducted by the Global Women’s Research Institute
• Produce global exchange media products and foster a sustainable partnership between emerging musicians in Botswana and audiences around the world

The goal of the festival is to equip and inspire emerging artists in Southern Africa while bringing attention to women’s issues through musical performance. We also hope to research sustainable funding sources for local arts programs in Botswana. We are delighted to collaborate with David Slater Music, the No. 1 Ladies’ Opera House and the Maitisong Festival to launch an exciting new cultural event in Gaborone. This project is also endorsed by Claremont Graduate University and the Global Women’s Research Institute.