Michigan Opera Theatre Receives $175,000 NEH Grant

Michigan Opera Theatre has received a $175,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to sustain its MOT at Home digital programming campaign. The grant, part of the federal CARES Act, supports economic stabilization for more than 300 cultural institutions across the country. MOT is one of only eight performing arts organizations to receive NEH funding, and the only opera company. This is MOT's first award from the NEH.

MOT at Home uses MOT's social media channels to provide daily opera and dance content to the community during this time of social distancing, which includes performances, blogs, podcasts, interviews and more. The posts are also available on the MOT at Home website and distributed through weekly emails. The program includes MOT Learns at Home, which provides weekly educational opera and dance study guides, lessons and other resources for students and teachers. MOT at Home was launched in April, and the grant will sustain the program through the end of the calendar year.

"During these challenging times, the arts are more important than ever. We are appreciative to the National Endowment for the Humanities for their support that will enable Michigan Opera Theatre to enhance its audience engagement in the Detroit community and beyond," said MOT President and CEO Wayne S. Brown. "Until it is safe to re-convene at the Detroit Opera House, MOT at Home allows us to remain connected to our community and to continue to offer performances and educational content digitally during this time of social distancing."

MOT Director of Education, Andrea Scobie, continues to lead the program, and MOT consultant Austin Stewart, PhD, will step into an expanded role in conjunction with MOT'sa??digital public programs.

"Over the past few months we have witnessed tremendous financial distress at cultural organizations across the country, which have been compelled to furlough staff, cancel programs, and reduce operations to make up for revenue shortfalls caused by the pandemic," said NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede. "NEH is pleased to provide $40 million to preserve thousands of jobs at museums, archives, historic sites, and colleges and universities that are vital to our nation's cultural life and economy."

Learn more about MOT at Home at https://michiganopera.org/mot-at-home/.

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