Acceso, inclusión y equidad
Nuestro compromiso con la música coral es un compromiso con la armonía y la armonía que trasciende la sala de conciertos. La Iniciativa de Artes Corales está profundamente comprometida con la escucha, el aprendizaje y el crecimiento.
Esta página documenta nuestra historia en curso, capturando el trabajo que hemos realizado y el que debemos realizar. Esta página es pública para que podamos rendir cuentas según los más altos estándares de acceso, inclusión y equidad. Esta labor nos involucra a todos. Si tiene alguna idea que le gustaría compartir con nosotros mientras continuamos con esta labor necesaria, por favor, háganosla saber. Puede contactar directamente con nuestro Director Ejecutivo y Artístico, Brandon Elliott, en b.elliott@choralartsinitiative.org.
¿POR QUÉ ACCESO, INCLUSIÓN Y EQUIDAD? ¿Y LA DIVERSIDAD?
Creemos que la diversidad es esencial para nuestra organización y es fundamental para nuestros valores y nuestra forma de operar. También creemos que la diversidad está profundamente arraigada en nuestras prioridades actuales de Acceso, Inclusión y Equidad. Sin embargo, reconocemos que la diversidad se trata de números y porcentajes, y creemos que estamos llamados a generar un mayor impacto que vaya más allá de reportar un porcentaje. Dada nuestra posición como organización, creemos que nuestros esfuerzos y tiempo deben centrarse específicamente en las áreas de Acceso, Inclusión y Equidad. En otras palabras: la diversidad se trata de números; el acceso y la inclusión se trata de impacto. Queremos enfocarnos más en el impacto.
Tras las lecciones más recientes de nuestro Festival PREMIERE|Project, nos dimos cuenta de que, si bien contábamos con una representación diversa de participantes, nuestra pregunta recurrente era: "¿Quién no está aquí porque no tuvo acceso?". Esto tiene implicaciones tanto de acceso como de equidad. Si bien celebramos la diversidad, creemos que es necesario centrar nuestra atención en garantizar que compositores de entornos desfavorecidos o quienes no se benefician de ventajas inmerecidas tengan el mismo acceso a nuestros programas de primer nivel.
Si la diversidad consiste en integrar a diferentes personas, la inclusión consiste en garantizar que cada voz sea valorada y escuchada. Por estas razones, creemos que la inclusión es el verdadero punto de partida del trabajo de nuestra organización. Creemos que asegurar que todos se sientan parte de la comunidad es esencial para nuestra organización y para el bienestar de todos los miembros de la Iniciativa de Artes Corales.
Finalmente, resistimos la tentación de incluir parámetros mensurables. Creemos que las áreas de Acceso, Inclusión y Equidad no son metas ni requisitos que se cumplen tras alcanzar porcentajes específicos. En cambio, nos comprometemos ahora, y por el futuro de nuestra organización, a que estas prioridades requieren trabajo, mejora y cambio constantes.
NUESTRA CRONOLOGÍA DE ACCESO, INCLUSIÓN Y EQUIDAD
OCTOBER 2025
Implemented instant website language translation for Spanish. As funding allows, additional languages will include Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, and Korean. Collectively, CAI aims to be the first choral organization in the region to offer fully language-accessible websites and digital programs for the four top language in Orange County.
AUGUST 2024
Implemented new protocols to ensure greater physical accessibility in rehearsals, performances, and events.
FEBRUARY 2024
Offered a record-breaking number of scholarship packages to ensure affordability and access for PREMIERE|Project Festival participants.
NOVEMBER 2023
Reimagined the application process for PREMIERE|Project Festival to remove education requirements, and remove live performance recording requirements for applicants who haven’t had a chance to have a live premiere.
AUGUST 2023
Revised our Accessibility Statement and invested in further website accessibility enhancements
JUNE 2023
Notable improvements in diversity and inclusion for our PREMIERE|Project Festival participants. Demographic data shows diversity in educational attainment, gender identity, sexual identity, and racial/ethnic self-identity.
SEPTEMBER 2022
A detailed review of our programming from founding to date shows that 62% of all composers featured in our programming identify as female, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, or disabled.
JULY 2022
Our new Climate Survey rolled out to all Choral Arts Initiative internal stakeholders. 96% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the organization prioritizes the values of Access, Inclusion, and Equity. 100% of respondents responded that they strongly agree that they feel as though they belong and are valued within the organization. 63% of respondents identify as non-heterosexual. 78% of respondents identify with an ethnicity or race other than white.
JUNE 2022
Accepted our most diverse cohort of participants for the 2022 PREMIERE|Project Festival, where over half of the participants received full or partial Access, Inclusion, and Equity scholarships. Participation fees for all participants was cut in half compared to our 2019 festival to further increase access (the last festival offering due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
NOVEMBER 2022
Transition to all-digital concert programs. In addition to saving nearly 12-14 pine trees per season, this digital transformation also significantly improves accessibility for guests with various vision impairments. For those without devices to access the program, we have a limited number of printed programs and also offer loaner devices.
SEPTEMBER 2021
Launched an entirely new website design that is more accessible for everyone. Also incorporated a state-of-the-art accessibility widget that features over 13 additional interactive responses for all visitors (from dyslexia-friendly text to contrast adjustments). Added an accessibility statement to our website.
MAY 2021
We have revised our internal policies to only partner with venues that offer gender neutral or unisex restrooms. All facilities booked as of June 2021 and onward have aligned with this policy.
JANUARY 2021
Artistic Director Brandon Elliott held a Town Hall with Choral Artists to discuss Spring 2021 plans, including the shared desire to further amplify our work in access, inclusion, and equity. While COVID-19 caused great uncertainty both financially and artistically, a variety of plans for Spring 2021 and Summer 2021 were developed.
AUGUST 2020
Due to operational changes in light of COVID-19, Choral Arts Initiative redirected funds that would have been spent on live productions towards the Center for Racial Injustice in Education.
JULY 2020
Choral Arts Initiatives engaged the help of two DEI experts to review our organization and identify areas for improvement.
JUNE 2020
Due to COVID-19, all in-person activities were placed on an indefinite hold. A series of Town Hall meetings over Zoom occur throughout Spring 2020 through Winter 2021. Brandon Elliott presented a variety of access, inclusion, and equity initiatives within the organization.
JUNE 2020
Artistic Director Brandon Elliott released a statement on behalf of the organization: "Black Lives Matter. We stand in harmony with those who have been the victims of violence, racism, and oppression for far too long. As a choral organization, our calling is to not only raise our voices in song, but to amplify the voices of those who have been silenced. As we continue to listen, learn, and grow as an organization, our commitment to our mission to work in partnership with the community carries renewed purpose."
JANUARY 2019
Choral Arts Initiative launched the application process for the second PREMIERE|Project Festival incorporating all of the efforts to increase access and inclusion for participants. We received numerous applications representing seven countries. We provided two scholarships to participants with access or inclusion needs. The overall representation of the festival participant cohort was far more diverse than the inaugural festival.
DECEMBER 2018
Artistic Director Brandon Elliott requested a 6-month sabbatical to occur January 2020--June 2020 to further expand his knowledge of living composers of color as well as to plan artistic concepts for Season 10. The Board of Directors unanimously approved and promoted Daniel Gee from Assistant Conductor to Associate Conductor.
NOVEMBER 2018
The Artistic Director curated a program called "Invitation." This program was thoughtfully crafted to invite the audience to explore white privilege, to look within, and to imagine a world not defined by privilege and hierarchy, but equality, empathy, and love. There was admittedly concern that the organization would receive criticism from some members of our family of supporters for presenting a program which may be received as "political." However, it was one of our most well-received programs and even received critical acclaim.
JULY 2018
Choral Arts Initiative concluded its new iteration of the PREMIERE|Project Festival featuring seven Composition Fellows and ten Composition Scholars. The Board of Directors, Staff, and Artistic Director immediately debrief after collecting participant surveys to glean lessons learned for future improvement. We realized we needed to create better access opportunities for those who perhaps could not afford formal composition training through private instruction or college. Working with community partners and donors, we created two full-ride scholarships, removed the requirement for asking about college/degree/training, and asked for applicants to submit any compositional work--not just choral compositions. All of these changes were implemented for the next application cycle.
JANUARY 2018
After a conversation with a composer, Artistic Director Brandon Elliott learned that the main barrier for composers of color is opportunity and getting that first choir to "take a chance" on their music. This prompted Brandon to reimagine and relaunch a second iteration of PREMIERE|Project festival. Rather than composers submitting scores only for feedback, composers applied for a week-long experience which featured workshops, a commission and premiere performance, and a distribution deal in partnership with MusicSpoke. We received applications from composers throughout the United States, China, Canada, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.
NOVEMBER 2017
Featured numerous West Coast premieres by BIPOC and female composers such as: "Let Nothing Trouble You" by Roderick Williams, "O Vos Omnes" by Linda Kachelmeier, and "Paradise" by Hilary Tann.
JULY 2017
Premiered five commissions, including Saunder Choi's "I Follow the Sparrow"- a piece using the sparrow as a metaphor for exploring migration and what it means to move.
SEPTEMBER 2017
Commissioned a diverse selection of living composers for the culminating Season 5 performance in July 2017.
AUGUST 2016
Brandon Elliott and the Board of Directors held a strategic planning meeting where diversity, equity, and inclusion were discussed extensively with an emphasis on diversified artistic programming.
JULY 2016
Offered two performances of programs solely featuring Dale Trumbore's choral music. Included the commission and world premiere of "How To Go On" featuring the words of three female poets.
APRIL 2016
Expanded performances beyond our home venue in Newport Beach by offering an additional performance in Anaheim. Half of the program selections featured female composers as well as a selection from the first iteration of the PREMIERE|Project Festival.
OCTOBER 2015
Expanded Creativity Seminar programs in partnership with Fullerton Joint Union High School District and Whittier Union High School District. By October 2015, Choral Arts Initiative's programs had served over 1,000 at-promise K-12 students.
SEPTEMBER 2015
Choral Arts Initiative launched its first iteration of the PREMIERE|Project festival. Composers from around the world could submit a completed choral composition. Composers could opt for consideration for performance, ask for feedback from the Artistic Director and a composition expert panel, or both. Choral Arts Initiative received over 1,500 score submissions from 37 countries. Brandon Elliott and the initial composition expert panel–Jake Runestad, Dominick DiOrio, Dale Trumbore, and Craig Carnahan–provided feedback to nearly 400 composers. All of this was free of charge. Brandon Elliott remarked that it provided him with exposure to an incredibly rich pool of composers he had never heard of.
AUGUST 2015
Commissioned Dale Trumbore for a major work secular requiem after an impromptu planning call.
JUNE 2015
Performed a variety of West Coast and world premieres. The program predominantly featured white male composers. Artistic Director Brandon Elliott later reflected to the Board of Directors that he could have done better by curating a more diverse program reflective of our very diverse choral landscape. He committed to launching a program to provide him with greater exposure to living composers.
FEBRUARY 2015
Performed the West Coast premiere of "A Lover's Journey" by composer Libby Larsen.
NOVEMBER 2014
Launched a free program for K-12 students in partnership with Santa Ana Unified School District and Anaheim Union High School District. Both hispanic-serving institutions, our program offered Creativity Seminars to help students discover or reconnect with their creative abilities using music as a catalyst.
JUNE 2014
Commissioned and premiered "I am Music" by female composer Dale Trumbore.
JUNE 2013
Inaugural performance featured the Choral Arts Initiative's commission of "Afternoon on a Hill" by Chinese-American composer Jiaying Gan. Also featured Melissa Dunphy's "Together."