Holland Community Opera Fellowship

BELIEFS

We find different ways to engage both the artists and the community to expand the experience of opera

Collaboration is the core of our work

Opera should be accessible to anyone and welcoming to everyone

HCOF partners are experts in their communities, and we rely on them to identify the needs of the people they serve

"Opera is just like everything we do at Gotta Be Me – you experience it, feel it, be there in all the moments to get it – to let it touch you and become part of who you are. And then to make it your own. Throughout our time together the technical skills we have learned were evident and important. However, the most meaningful things to come from our partnership have been the changes in our crew as people, humans who are becoming who they want to be."

—Tiffiny Clifton, Gotta Be Me

Since 2018, HCOF has collaborated with Gotta Be Me on a variety of classes, workshops, and productions.

Abz Cameron (they/them) is a queer, neurodivergent multi-disciplinary artist and lifelong storyteller. With nearly two decades of acting experience on Omaha-area stages, Abz also works across visual mediums like charcoal, printmaking, sculpture, SFX makeup, collage, and digital design. Their creative practice is rooted in storytelling as a form of connection and resistance. In 2019, Abz was part of the ensemble behind Little Wars, a devised theater piece performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and Region 4 KCACTF. They also originated the role of Rachel in Dave Osmundsen’s More of a Heart at BLUEBARN Theatre. As an arts educator and former Artistic Specialist with the Ollie Webb Center, Inc., Abz builds accessible programming that centers creative freedom and community. Through diverse mediums, Abz seeks to inspire others to express their individual truth, depth, chaos, silliness, and joy. They love authentically representing the vast human experience through the exploration and healing power of collaboration.

Tobias J. Garcia (he/they) is a multifaceted theatre artist originally from Goshen, IN, with specializations in educational theatre, props design, and puppetry. Tobias has worked professionally with the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival for 4 seasons, as a stage manager, props designer, and most recently as a puppet artisan and puppeteer in their production of As You Like It. Tobias has also done a variety of work at community level with the South Bend Civic Theatre and the Robinson Shakespeare Company to bring quality theatre education to youth in the South Bend region as a teaching artist in their outreach programs. Tobias hopes to continue their journey as a teaching artist through the amazing opportunity this fellowship offers. Eventually they will be looking to pursue an MFA in theatre education, while hoping to find a way to inject a little puppetry magic into their studies as well!

Chloe Janae Gormley (she/her) is a passionate Filipino-American teaching artist and visual artist. She is dedicated to using the arts to narrate perspectives of minorities and individuals with diverse backgrounds through her art. Having worked as a Creative Director for Bahay Sibol Inc., a children's home in her hometown, Chloe has gained insight into how art can be used as a tool for learning and transformation. Before graduating, Chloe interned for Filipino Visual Artists Marina Cruz and Rodel Tapaya under Istorya Studios Inc., where she was further encouraged to use her art to tell stories. She recently graduated magna cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas with a Bachelors in Fine Arts. Chloe was recognized for her Thesis, which focused on visualizing the voices of both domestic and transnational Filipino adoptees to bring further awareness to the issues vulnerable and at-risk children face.

Aiden James Poling (he/him) is a versatile creative professional and teaching artist from Shreveport, Louisiana. He holds BFAs in both Theatre and Studio Art, two areas of study which have shaped his career across stage, film, directing, and design. Some of his favorite stage credits include roles such as Jack Kelly (Newsies), Moritz Stiefel (Spring Awakening), Canary Jim (Not About Nightingales), and Little Bat (Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah). Since moving to Omaha three years ago, he has served in leadership roles for several arts organizations. Aiden is also an actor for the Omaha Community Playhouse’s VROOM! Mobile Sensory Theatre, one-of-a-kind traveling immersive experience designed for audiences with autism, developmental delays, or other sensory sensitivities. Aiden is passionate about utilizing his talents to assist in creating inclusive, accessible spaces where the arts can be enjoyed by all, and he’s thrilled to continue to do so in his second year in the HCOF program!