Afton Battle, the new General Director of Fort Worth Opera, after having left a career as an opera singer to work in strategic consulting and development for the National Black Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, the Joffrey Ballet, and the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, Battle brings a unique and well-rounded skill-set to her new position. We talk about her exciting plans to form closer relationships with the diverse communities surrounding FWO, and discuss various ideas for making new audiences feel welcome at FWO performances. She shares her goals of bringing more diversity and inclusivity to the casting and hiring at FWO, and of making FWO’s signature Frontiers program for new works a dedicated forum for BIPOC artists and stories. Finally, we talk about how FWO could perform to larger live audiences in the COVID era, and how to empower young BIPOC people in the arts industry to think big and go for leadership positions. Don’t miss this inspiring episode!