For the past ten or so years, we’ve been hearing a common refrain from philanthropic bodies, as they (and the general population) become more aware of the failure of government to address social injustice - particularly in access to health, education, and breaking cycles of entrenched generational disadvantage.
Today, I was asked to come up with some on-the-spot thoughts about opera and injustice:
With all the money directed to addressing increased social disadvantage and injustice, it certainly seems - from where I’m at - that the decline in support and valuing of performing arts by government and corporates have relegated so-called ‘elite’ art to entertainment for the privileged - through requiring direct economic benefit or impact from human/artistic endeavour. It is difficult to shake the feeling of ‘failure’ brought about by significant decline of government, philanthropic and corporate support for opera - especially non-mainstream opera.
A recent comment to me, upon being inducted in the Victorian Women’s Honour Roll, that “most of these women get paid extremely well for what they do”, reminded me of my naive student days when I thought that those OAM AM etc letters after a name meant ‘rich’. There is no doubt that recognition is reward in itself - a shot in the arm to keep the drive-hope aflame. Lifting and expanding human sprits for little economic reward requires a constant wiring of the brain to articulate ‘value’ beyond financial capacity or stability. It is undeniably wearing to keep ‘begging’ for support for creative capacity - and a platform for our highly-trained and talented artists and musicians - who were once children at school being given access and opportunities - and told that if they worked hard they would be ‘rewarded’ with careers. Anyone who graduated as a performer since the 1990s is realising that is simply no longer the case in Australia - the overseas talent drain is alive and well in opera, bemoaned since the early 1900s!
After offloading my own sense of injustice in terms of a lack of capacity to do more than I do, there IS potential to put contemporary opera to work in addressing injustice:
Contemporary opera can speak loudly for those whose voices are not heard.
Injustice includes lack of access to transformative and inspiring performing art - classical music - theatre - new ideas. Contemporary opera needs funding to be able to take its messages and its social currency TO audiences - not expect them to come to us.
Opera layers the narrative to convey messaging beyond conscious comprehension - sharing human physiological responses beyond the intellectual. Hair standing on end, heart racing etc - these cannot be faked, or ‘willed’ - they happen in spite of ourselves, and serve as a reminder that we are essentially all the same - human.