Opera Atelier is a unique and world-renowned company that specializes in baroque and early classical opera and dance. We have toured over the last 25 years extensively in Europe, the United States, and Asia, most recently in Korea.
We support the recommendation made that the Government of Canada invest $25 million in a market development program that will help connect Canadians to arts and culture, and help export-ready Canadian cultural products reach the global marketplace.
When Opera Atelier tours internationally, we act as cultural ambassadors and share Canadian values with the world. In addition to giving us a role as cultural ambassadors, cultural touring really gives Canada a trade advantage in a competitive global economy.
When we were in Asia, for example, Canadian companies were there, too, companies like BMO Financial Group and Sun Life Financial, sharing Canada's cultural exports with potential global partners and aligning these partners at the level of values. In a competitive marketplace, shared values become a tangible trade advantage.
We tour to less developed markets or to markets where there is a great deal of government support, and when we do this, almost always this means that the presenters, the people who are presenting us, cannot cover the full costs of our unionized musicians and artists. But these markets are exactly where corporate Canada is developing their shareholder value and where we can support the development of Canadian businesses abroad.