25/26 Holland Highlights
Reflections on the work and daily wonders of the Holland Community Opera Fellowship
October 2025
At St. Joseph Tower, our Stories at Our Fingertips workshop series became a routine of reflection and laughter. Each week, residents gathered around the table to write and share stories from their lives — memories that ranged from childhood adventures to the friendships that shape who we are today. Our sessions blended creative writing, conversation, and visual art - all important elements of opera. We began with prompts that unlocked sensory memories like smells, sounds, and textures, and turned them into poetry, short reflections, and pages for each participant’s own mini-memoir book. As we worked, we talked about how storytelling and art help us notice the small, extraordinary moments hidden in everyday life.
What struck me most was how naturally the residents supported one another. They encouraged each other through hesitation and celebrated each other’s stories and perspectives. By the final session, the room felt like a small community of writers, each voice distinct & each story an artifact of the human experience.
-Abz Cameron, Holland Community Opera Fellow
September 2025
In our first workshop with the Sarpy Juvenile Justice Center this season, we highlighted creative problem solving as a necessary tool in performing arts. We started with an active opinion game, highlighting ways you can have an opinion about something and justify it. Then, we challenged the youth to solve a production problem that could easily happen in a real opera! The youth came up with smart solutions and unique ideas all while maintaining the integrity of the show. After solving one of the problems, one youth commented that they "should be an engineer or something," while another youth identified how much they loved art and drawing and could someday be a professional artist. We shared that those are real jobs in the opera industry! It was fun to inspire these youth and show them that art and opera could give them a sense of belonging and ideas for the future!
-Tobias Garcia, Holland Community Opera Fellow