Applications now open until Feb. 1, 2025!

What should my resume include?
Opera Omaha is looking for highly skilled teaching artists who have a passion for community-engaged work. What volunteer experiences have you had? What work experiences have you had as an artist, and outside of being an artist? We want to know.
We also like to know what makes you unique. What are your interests? What are your talents and skills outside of your profession? Tell us!

I don’t have a degree. Would my application be considered?
Yes, experience will be considered in lieu of academic credentials.

How long is a Fellowship contract?
This full-time position is for the 25/26 season.

Do I need to live in Omaha for this position?
Yes, Fellows are expected to live in the area while on contract. Most Fellowship programming will occur at community partner sites across the Omaha metro area. Programming is primarily in-person, starting in mid-August 2025 and ending in mid-May 2026.

What does a typical week look like in the Fellowship?
In a given week, Fellows will:

• Plan community-based arts programming
• Participate in staff & community partner meetings
• Provide programming in the community—programming can be anywhere from a one-time event, weekly or monthly sessions, to a year-long project
• Take part in reflective practice as they reflect and report on their work and experience.
• Take part in professional training (non-artistic)
• Deepen their civic practice and community engagement skills.
• Deepen their creative practice, which may include time with artist mentors, or individual studio or practice time (weekly)
• Share their artistry with the community. This has included concerts, performance poetry and recordings.

Who are some of the community partners I’d be working with as a Fellow?
The Holland Community Opera Fellowship collaborates with more than a dozen partners across the Omaha metro area. HCOF’s priority is to help community partners reach their goals as they work to provide a better quality of life for their communities and serve those who may have limited access to arts experience and programming. Programming is focused on creativity and inspiration with the art form of opera as a toolbox, not teaching opera.
Some examples of co-created programming with partners in the last year include:

• Music and acting workshops with participants from Quality Living Inc.(QLI) and Ollie Webb Center, Inc. QLI is a residential rehabilitation facility for individuals with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, and Ollie Webb’s Art of the Imagination Program serves adults with disabilities.
• Creativity and writing workshops with residents at MICAH House. MICAH House is an emergency housing shelter that serves families and women.
• Creativity and music workshops to support connection with members of the Intercultural Senior Center. Intercultural Senior Center serves hundreds of seniors across Omaha, including those from immigrant and refugee communities. You can view the ISC Songbook project created with HCOF Fellows in Fall 2020 on our blog.
• Creative storytime and art creation focused on celebrating culture and bilingual abilities with young children at the Learning Community Center of South Omaha.

Do Fellows work mostly independently or as a team?
Fellows primarily work as a team. Most programming in the Fellowship is facilitated by two or more Fellows. In addition, they work together to develop curriculum and activities informed by community partners. Fellows work closely with the Community Opera Fellowship Manager and the Director of Engagement evaluating and reflecting on the programs and day-to-day activities in the Fellowship. The ideal candidate has a strong sense of teamwork and desire to collaborate with other artists.

I’m not an opera singer. What might support for my artistry look like?
Opera Omaha will work with each Fellow to explore ways to support their artistic growth and process. This may include finding opportunities to showcase their art through Opera Omaha programming, or connecting with local and regional artists and mentors across opera and/or other artistic fields.

I’m a singer. Are there mainstage performance opportunities?
Because the role of the Fellow is to be a resource and provide a consistent, meaningful presence in the community, Fellows are not scheduled in mainstage productions. That type of commitment would pull the Fellow away from the primary purpose of the Fellowship role. Fellows may perform throughout the year in a variety of venues, including concerts and performances with community partners.

What is the compensation?
Fellows are full time staff members with a salary of $42,000/year. Fellows also receive benefits including medical, dental and life insurance, 403b retirement savings plan, flexible time off and holiday pay, and a professional development stipend.

Will there be opportunities for training and professional development?
Opera Omaha provides professional development opportunities for Fellows in order to support their growth as well-rounded, civically engaged artists. This begins with an intensive and intentional onboarding process in August and continues throughout the year with ongoing training opportunities. We work to set Fellows up for success in their professional careers and as they work in our community.

Training and Resources
Expanded training for our Fellows is necessary to better prepare them to work with a wide range of populations in the community. This includes, but is not limited to, utilizing training programs outside of the arts including topics such as healthcare sensitivity, trauma informed models, cultural competence, person first language, reflective practice and civic practice in addition to specialized training from our community partners.

Professional Development
Fellows receive a $5,000 professional development stipend per season to use towards continuing education, artistic development, and/or professional development. Fellows work with the Community Opera Fellowship Manager to create and implement a Professional Development Plan that is unique to their needs and goals. The use of funds must be approved and connected to the Professional Development Plan. Funds can be used for things such as classes and trainings, coachings or lessons, seminars, conferences, and travel and housing to and from said engagements.

Artistic Development
Artistic Training opportunities are developed based on the needs of Fellows and may include coachings with Opera Omaha's Head of Music, sessions with visiting guest artists, and connecting with artists and mentors across the opera field or other organizations here in Omaha.

What does a teaching artist do after their time as a Holland Community Opera Fellow?
Each Fellow has their own unique experience after their time with us. A few examples of next steps include accepting a position as a college level faculty, working as a teaching artist in their hometown, performing roles across the country with varying arts and opera organizations, and pursuing a graduate degree. The Fellowship does not place individuals in future roles or guarantee any future employment after a contract ends.

What is Civic Practice?
Civic practice draws on opera’s authentic creative assets to address public priorities and community needs. Projects are co-created with community partners or participants focusing creative practice on partners and participants' self defined needs.
We highly recommend reading Opera America’s “An Introduction to Civic Practice”.