OP. I
A global impact-driven
arts-powered organization
Opus 1 Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit activating systemic, sustainable and scalable solutions to social, economic, and environmental challenges, advancing opportunities for greater equity, inclusion and innovation worldwide.
Launched in 2016 by Christopher Coritsidis,
a then concert violinist and now social entrepreneur, after an outreach tour to Kenya on behalf of Ghetto Classics -- an arts education program empowering disadvantaged youth.
Today, Opus 1 has served over 90,000 individuals worldwide across six countries and four continents.
.jpeg)
THE ART OF IMPACT IS HERE.
We believe that transformative social movements are driven by empowered individuals, resilient institutions, and bold, innovative ideas often requiring the courage to embrace high-risk opportunities.
While our focus areas have evolved over the years, these core principles remain the foundation of our work and are central to our vision of how meaningful change unfolds.
This unwavering commitment has not only distinguished Opus 1 Foundation but has also fostered a profound and lasting impact across the communities we serve.
We are a global network of artists, advocates, philanthropists, and policymakers committed to uplifting individuals and communities facing marginalization, inequality, and crisis. Guided by our core values — inclusivity, innovation, and impact — we design and implement projects, programs and events that respond to the world’s most pressing issues.
Our programs cultivate local leadership, amplify underrepresented voices, and foster cross-cultural dialogue. We collaborate with passionate creatives, grassroots organizations, government agencies, and global institutions to ensure our work is community-rooted and universally resonant.
MANIFESTO
1. The arts are universal.
Every human being is born with the capacity to create, sense, and interpret. Creativity is not a talent — it is a right.
2. The arts are embodied.
They live in the body as much as in the mind. They honor health, well-being, transcendence; the full spectrum of human ability.
3. The arts are porous.
They cross boundaries — between disciplines, cultures, and identities. They thrive where medicine meets movement, where poetry meets data, where tradition meets technology.
4. The arts are relational.
They arise from connection — to ourselves, to people, to the planet. They cultivate empathy, unity, and understanding.
5. The arts are transformative.
They challenge, heal, provoke, restore, disrupt, and renew. They expand what is possible for individuals and societies.
6. The arts are work.
They are a profession, a livelihood, and an essential part of the global economy. Artists — and those who use creativity to serve others — deserve equity, dignity, and opportunity.
7. The arts are the future.
They shape technological innovation, social progress, and cultural evolution. They are how we imagine what has never existed—and how we build it.
_edited.png)
We approach our work with a sense of urgency, understanding that meaningful change requires sustained commitment to those living and working closest to the challenges.
To foster this change, we prioritize strengthening civil society at all levels, championing the participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. Collaboration is central to our efforts, as we work closely with governments, the private sector, academia, and the creative community, leveraging the arts as a powerful catalyst for dialogue, understanding, and transformation.
Our culture is rooted in trust, constructive dialogue, and leadership that inspires innovation and excellence. We are committed to listening, learning, and modeling openness and transparency in all we do. Accountability is at the heart of our work — whether to one another, our charter, the organizations we partner with, our sector, society at large, or the laws governing our nonprofit status.
Through the arts and beyond, we seek to build a more inclusive and equitable world.