Lyric Opera 2022-2023 Issue 5 - Le Comte Ory

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 38 The interns,shown here with some of their mentors,gained experience across multiple departments. Taking their turn The performing arts, and opera in particular, can be perceived as an exclusive eld. For many young professionals, it can be dif cult to even imagine working in these spaces, much less receiving adequate compensation. It’s fair to say that, for a long time, there have been signi cant barriers to gaining entry-level experience. This past summer, through a transformative gift from The Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust, Lyric Opera of Chicago took a giant step toward addressing this set of issues, with a program focused on individuals just beginning their professional lives. The company has long had a successful and transformative internship program, providing opportunities for students in nearly every part of its operations. But the move toward paid internship positions, in the arts space, is exceptional. And the change was linked to a broader initiative as well: As part of Lyric’s ongoing commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA), the company intentionally recruited talent from outside conventional channels, even focusing its search on intern candidates for whom compensation was essential. Through partnerships with universities across the country, including HBCUs, and those that serve other diverse communities (as well as career fairs, job boards, and professional organizations), word was spread about the new initiative, and the idea caught re, making the selection process for the program exceptionally competitive and comprehensive. More than 750 applicants from all over the country expressed interest, and the People & Culture team were determined to nd a pool of interns that were unlike any other cohort Lyric had seen before. Ericka Carmona- Vega, Lyric’s Talent Acquisition Consultant, and Camilla Fernandez, People and Culture Coordinator, welcomed the challenge. Their goal was to hire interns purposefully, seeking individuals Carmona-Vega says, who demonstrated exceptional “leadership capabilities and the desire to be part of this [artistic] world—even in unconventional ways.” The resulting cohort of 11 brought in an energy that was felt throughout the organization. Interns worked in education, fundraising, marketing, theater technology, and other areas, gaining valuable work experience and observing and interacting with professionals at close Lyric Opera of Chicago Lyric Opera of Chicago Through a remarkably generous grant, Lyric’s intern program has begun offering paid positions to groups of talented (and intentionally diverse) young people.