Honorable Legacy’s Post

Still glowing after a wonderful opening night at the Greek National Opera! The GNO generously donated 10 tickets for Living Opera community members to attend the show, and it has sparked an incredible ripple effect in just a few short days: 1) I had the privilege of meeting members of our community in Athens, learning firsthand about the unique challenges they face. 2) Our community members connected with each other, building new friendships and strengthening their networks. 3) What started as a shared evening at the opera is already evolving into collaborative opportunities. This experience reinforced something I deeply believe: small gestures can create lasting impacts. Whether it's giving someone a seat at the table—or in this case, in the audience—these moments can lead to meaningful connections, new ideas, and long-term growth. As leaders in various sectors, we have so many ways to foster community and inspire change, often with simple, thoughtful actions. CTA: What small gesture can you make today that might have a bigger effect than you imagine?

<div class="gfm-embed" data-url="https://lnkd.in/eeQEDtqZ"></div><script defer src="https://lnkd.in/esbndbNg"></script> I launched a crowdfunding campaign a couple of days back with an aim to raise £2000 toward gettin my opera 'Pawn Queen' produced. This is a 2 stage campaign. The funds raised from this first stage will go to hire The Arts Fundraisers consultants. They are best experienced at securing the funds that I need from the Arts Council of England (ACE). Once the funds from ACE are secure (ACE furnishes 90% of the money required for a project, with a stipulation the remaining 10% comes from the bidder, me in this instance). So day three since I posted this crowdfunding appeal on social media, and here is an update. 7 donors have altogether provided me with £124. That's over 5% toward my goal, which I am quite enthused about, especially as it is my first ever crowdfund appeal. So if you are reading this then do take time to peruse the link and make a donation. Your money goes to making new opera happen! Thanks 👋 https://gofund.me/78fec0bf

Just because you have a mic on doesn't mean your audience can hear you clearly. Here are some tips we love to use to help improve our diction: 🟢Practice tongue twisters 🔵Read aloud and practice your pace 🟢Exaggerate mouth movements 🔵Practice speaking up #theatre #art #community #nonprofitorganization #explore #tulsa #Oklahoma #worldstagetheatrecompany

The Cautionary Stewardship Tale of Lois Kirschenbaum An unassuming donor, who is passionate about opera leaves a massive $4M legacy. I’m not surprised. The fascinating NYT article encompasses so many planned giving truisms: a.    Being “frugal” doesn’t mean you don’t have assets. Just because Lois bought the cheapest seats, brought her own sandwiches to the Met, and lived in a rent stabilized apartment doesn’t mean she can’t make a very large gift! In many cases, the lack of heirs is a good sign of a potentially large estate. b.    Stewardship is key; Did anyone at the Met Opera meet with her? Talk with her? It’s not enough just to get Planned Giving donors, you need to listen to their stories, their values and their concerns. Emails and online websites can only take you so far; you need personal interactions, particularly with your legacy donors. c.    Your will is the last statement you will ever make, and Lois certainly made a statement with hers; both to the organizations she supported, and at least one which she didn’t. #legacyplanning https://lnkd.in/e3gUP8Yv

My song "I'm Here" on my new album ALIVE is my answer to the existentialist question "Why are we here?" On a very deep level, I think I know why I am here. This song tells that story. - #jazz #NewMusic #ALIVE #VocalJazz #JazzSinger #Philosophy #Stoic

🎭 Theatre Tax Relief (TTR) changes from 1 April 2024 🎭 📖The meaning of ‘theatrical production’ has been altered so that the primary focus of the play, opera, musical or dramatic piece must be the depiction of a story or stories, which must be depicted through performers playing roles. A further clarification has been added that the main purpose of audience members must be to observe a performance rather than participate in it. 🤝There have been some further clarifications added around costs incurred from connected parties to ensure any connected party profit is excluded from TTR claims. 📌At least 10% of the qualifying costs must be incurred on goods or services used or consumed in the UK (rather than at least 25% having to be incurred in the EEA as previously) 📝 All claims must be accompanied by an Additional Information Form. This provides basic details about the charity and its productions, including the start date of each production phase. Should you have any concerns regarding any of these changes please do not hesitate to contact me, Susan Pattison or Robyn McMahon 😊 #TTR #TheatreTaxRelief #CulturalTaxReliefs #Tax #TaxRelief #AdditionalInformationForm #AIF

🎭 Theatre Tax Relief (TTR) changes from 1 April 2024 🎭 📖The meaning of ‘theatrical production’ has been altered so that the primary focus of the play, opera, musical or dramatic piece must be the depiction of a story or stories, which must be depicted through performers playing roles. A further clarification has been added that the main purpose of audience members must be to observe a performance rather than participate in it. 🤝There have been some further clarifications added around costs incurred from connected parties to ensure any connected party profit is excluded from TTR claims. 📌At least 10% of the qualifying costs must be incurred on goods or services used or consumed in the UK (rather than at least 25% having to be incurred in the EEA as previously). 📝 All claims must be accompanied by an Additional Information Form. This provides basic details about the charity and its productions, including the start date of each production phase. Should you have any concerns regarding any of these changes please do not hesitate to contact me, Aminata Wariraye or Robyn McMahon😊 #TTR #TheatreTaxRelief #CulturalTaxReliefs #Tax #TaxRelief #AdditionalInformationForm #AIF

New advocacy toolkit for arts organizations! Bravo to OPERA America, one of our Strengthening the Sector grant recipients. OPERA America says, "Advocacy should be a core business function of administrators and trustees at every opera company." This toolkit easily explains how leaders and board members working in opera can take action to advocate for funding and arts-friendly policies. Check out seven new government relations guides that address: 🎶 Best practices 🎶 Guidelines 🎶 Tips for contacting local officials and more! 🔗 Download the free guides at link in bio! #artsadvocacy #policychange #musicadvocacy #opera #operanews #operalovers #OPERAAmerica

I often get asked the question... "Do I need to see an ENT or an SLP?" Several things can be evaluated to determine which may be best for you, and it is always best to consult with a professional. As a vocal coach, some of the things we can evaluate include... 👉 Are you running into a lot of vocal fatigue? 👉 Are you over-efforting, and can it be helped through technique? 👉 Is there something physiologically going on? Don't be afraid to seek help - keeping your instrument safe and healthy is worth it! 🫶 . . . #singer #vocalist #feldenkrais #voicecoach #vocalteacher #theatre #voicelessons #performingarts #ent #slp

That's true, many North American Performing Arts organizations and companies are years ahead of most of the European organizations in reflecting the aspects Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). They address racial injustice, gender disparity, and ableism, as well as discrimination and power abuse more serious and with more financial power. We should take this as an example in order to quickly catch up on these aspects and not always be years behind, as with #metoo a.o.