For centuries, decisions about opera, orchestra, and ballet casting have been made behind closed doors—by a select few, often disconnected from the very communities they aim to serve. But history is about to be made in Bloomington, Indiana.
On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, the Bloomington Opera Camp™, a production of the Performing Arts Laboratory, invites the public to a groundbreaking, free event: the Pre-Production Meeting: Casting. For the first time in modern classical performing arts, community members, artists, and stakeholders from all walks of life will help define the criteria for casting a professional opera production.
Event Details
Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: FAR Center for Contemporary Arts (202 S Rogers St, Bloomington, IN 47404)
Admission: Free and open to the public!
A Groundbreaking Shift in Performing Arts Governance
This bold initiative challenges the traditional top-down structure of arts management, thanks to over 15 years of innovative international practical-research by Maestro Diego Barbosa-Vásquez and the Performing Arts Laboratory (PAL). Their work proposes a new governance model for the arts—one where everyone has a voice.
“Framing the performing arts as cultural commons allows us to develop governance and accountability models that benefit all stakeholders” says Maestro Barbosa-Vásquez, General Director of PAL and creator of the Opera Camp™ model.
And the data backs it up. According to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), only 0.7% of the U.S. population currently engages with opera—a drastic drop from 3.2% in 2012 and 2.2% in 2017.
Why the decline? Because, research shows, many institutions operate with “Club Framing”—making key artistic decisions in isolation. Bloomington Opera Camp™ aims to flip the script.
“Research demonstrates that sustainable performing arts enterprises—across artistic, financial, social, and ecological dimensions—can only emerge through inclusive governance that engages all stakeholders. The Opera Camp™ model has demonstrated since 2018 that it is a viable framework for this, combining community empowerment, artistic excellence, and responsible ecological practices within a financially solid structure,” continued the Colombian Maestro Barbosa-Vásquez.
Be Part of the Decision. Be Part of the Future.
At the Pre-Production Meeting: Casting, attendees will:
-
Engage in Real Artistic Governance
Take part in a truly participatory process that helps shape the 2025 Bloomington Opera Camp™ around community needs and goals. -
Demystify the Casting Process
Learn how casting decisions are typically made—and how they can and should evolve. -
Define the Casting Criteria for 2025
Help establish the values, qualities, and standards that will guide the casting of El Imperio de la Luz (The Empire of Light)—a new opera inspired by Inca mythology and Peruvian culture.
Don’t Just Watch History—Make It.
This is more than an event. It’s a movement—a model for more sustainable, inclusive, and collaborative performing arts worldwide.
The Pre-Production Meeting is FREE AND OPEN TO ALL, but official allied institutions and registered participants of Bloomington Opera Camp™ 2025 will have secured participation privileges.
Want to guarantee your voice is heard? Secure your spot for this groundbreaking event and register NOW for Bloomington Opera Camp™ (May 27–June 7, 2025) at:
https://www.performingartslab.com/oc/bloomington-in
About Bloomington Opera Camp™
Taking place May 27–June 7, 2025, at Harmony School (Bloomington, IN), the Bloomington Opera Camp™ is an immersive, community-powered creative experience for participants of all ages, levels, and backgrounds.
Campers engage in:
- Singing and Acting
- Painting and Stage Design
- Instrumental Performance
- Production and Arts Administration
All culminating in a fully staged performance of El Imperio de la Luz (The Empire of Light)—a powerful, multilingual opera sung in English, Spanish, and Quechua.
Registration Deadline: May 15, 2025
Spaces are limited—register early.
www.performingartslab.com/oc/bloomington-in
A Community-Driven Initiative
The Bloomington Opera Camp™ is produced by Bloomington Opera Camp LLC (a benefit corporation) in collaboration with:
- Performing Arts Laboratory
- Harmony School
- FAR Center for Contemporary Arts & Pictura Gallery
- Reimagining Opera for Kids
- Barbosa-Vásquez Private Studio
- Society of Colombian Friends
- City of Bloomington’s Department of Economic and Sustainable Development
- The Americas Chamber Orchestra
- And many more visionary partners.
This initiative was conceived and is led by Maestro Diego Barbosa-Vásquez, a globally recognized conductor and scholar whose doctoral and postdoctoral work on Performing Arts Sustainability spans over 150 institutions worldwide.
#BloomingtonOperaCamp #PerformingArtsForEveryone #OperaForAll #PerformingArtsCulturalCommons #CulturalCommons #SharedGovernance #FutureOfPerformingArts
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WE THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR SHARING THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR AUDIENCES.
Please find attached the full Press Release in Word and PDF, and see the attached photos taken by attendees at the launch event on Feb 10th, 2025, at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, along with images of the Opera Camp™ (all authorized for use in publications).
For Press Inquiries & Interviews
Journalists are invited to cover this groundbreaking event and interview key figures behind this transformation. To schedule an interview with Maestro Barbosa-Vásquez or members of the Performing Arts Laboratory, please contact:
Performing Arts Laboratory
Email: solutions@performingartslab.com
Website: www.performingartslab.com
Bloomington Opera Camp™ full info: https://www.performingartslab.com/oc/bloomington-in
Maestro Diego Barbosa-Vásquez
Website: www.barbosavasquez.com
Email: barbosa.vasquez@gmail.com
Phone: +1 626 620 4391
Maestro Barbosa-Vasquez Press Kit: www.barbosavasquez.com/presskit
Other published press about the Bloomington Opera Camp™
- Bloomington Opera Camp™ Announces Free Event Focusing on Community-Driven Performing Arts Governance / March 28th 2025 by Opera Wire (Specialized Press International): https://operawire.com/bloomington-opera-camp-announces-free-event-focusing-on-community-driven-performing-arts-governance/
- Who Decides What’s On Stage? For the First Time, Everyone Does / March 25th 2025 by Indiana Daily Student (Bloomington, IN, USA): https://www.idsnews.com/article/2025/03/pr-everyone-stage-03-25-25
- Pioneering the Future: Maestro Barbosa-Vásquez Presents Opera Camp™ to Bloomington Communities as a Model for Sustainable Performing Arts! / February 11th 2025 by Indiana Daily Student (Bloomington, IN, USA): https://www.idsnews.com/article/2025/02/pr-pioneering-the-future-maestro-barbosa-vsquez-presents-opera-camp-to-bloomington-communities-as-a-model-for-sustainable-performing-arts-021125
- Opera Camp™ Opens 2025 Registration & Announces Location / February 10th 2025 by Opera Wire (Specialized Press International): https://operawire.com/opera-camp-opens-2025-registration-announces-location/
- Bloomington Opera Camp™ 2025 Opens Registration, Launch Event Set for Feb. 10 / Feb 6th 2025 by The Bloomingtonian (Bloomington, IN, USA): https://bloomingtonian.com/2025/02/06/bloomington-opera-camp-2025-opens-registration-launch-event-set-for-feb-10/
