History

Cultureland Opera Collective is dedicated to making contemporary opera more accessible and fostering cultural awareness. The collective focuses on producing socially impactful operatic works and educational initiatives, primarily highlighting equity-deserving Middle Eastern cultures and communities.

In 2024, Cultureland premiered "Echoes of Bi-Sotoon" an operatic production inspired by the ancient historical site of Mountain Bi-Sotoon in Iran. This multimedia operatic production featured music from seven emerging composers of diverse backgrounds and explored themes of peace and heritage preservation. (Read the article: ludwig-van.com)

From 2025 to 2027, Cultureland will serve as the first collective in residence with Tapestry Opera. This partnership provides access to free space and resources, enabling the exploration and presentation of new works. In spring 2025, Cultureland collective produced of “Quest”, an operatic performance to celebrate this cultural connection for change; 

In April 2025, the Cultureland Opera Club was launched—a vibrant new initiative designed to bring diverse communities, especially Middle Eastern and Farsi-speaking audiences, closer to the world of opera. The Club aims to raise public awareness and knowledge of opera through post-show discussions, inclusive educational events such as summer opera workshops, and curated group outings to free or discounted performances. Its goal is to foster deeper understanding, appreciation, and cultural connection. This initiative reflects Cultureland’s mission to make opera more accessible, relevant, and reflective of lived experiences.

Cultureland's efforts are supported by a dedicated team of advisors and generous funding from the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, and Canada Arts Council. With these support we are hoping to run the 2nd full workshop of our newly developed opera in the Fall 2025: "The Refugees," an English-language opera based on Aeschylus' "Hikétides," exploring contemporary issues of refugee rights and international humanitarianism..

For more information, please visit www.cultureland.ca or follow their Instagram page: @culturelandoperacollective.

Last Update May 2025