08 May OFTY Responds to NEA Grant Termination
Student choristers perform as the dragon in OFTY’s The Magic Flute
Last week, the National Endowment for the Arts terminated an extensive number of previously awarded grants, including an award supporting Opera for the Young’s 2024-2025 school tour of The Magic Flute. These funds – first committed in April 2024 – were used to bring live opera into elementary schools across the Midwest. The termination came late Friday, just as our cast completed a day of performances for nearly 900 children.
For over 50 years, OFTY has made opera accessible, inclusive, and joyful for young audiences. Our work doesn’t just entertain; it empowers student choristers, builds confidence, and inspires curiosity through music and storytelling. This loss in funding is a significant blow to our bottom line.
It is central to our mission that all students have access to professional and affordable school performances, and furthermore, to broaden access to opera for the entire community we serve. The NEA was an important institution in furthering that mission for not only OFTY but to the many, many organizations that have now lost this vital support for their programs.
Please take action: https://americansthearts.quorum.us/campaigns/
Contact your congressperson to ask them to uphold the NEA, attend arts events – ours or others – and show your support, and if you can, please make a donation to help us continue to provide our valuable program to students and music educators.
Thank you for believing in what we do.