Equity Arc

EQUITY ARC IS A COALITION CHARGED BY ITS DIVERSE MEMBERSHIP OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO ALIGN, PROMOTE, AND DEVELOP EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASPIRING CLASSICAL MUSICIANS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED ETHNICITIES.

NATIONAL PATHWAYS FESTIVAL AND CONVENING: THE EQUITY ARC NATIONAL PATHWAYS FESTIVAL AND CONVENING BROUGHT 40 PRECOLLEGE FELLOWS FROM 11 PATHWAYS PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO CINCINNATI FOR A MULTIDAY MUSICAL EXPERIENCE THAT INCLUDED MOCK AUDITIONS WITH COLLEGIATE FACULTY, REHEARSALS LED BY AIK KHAI PUNG AND KEVIN JOHN EDUSEI, AND A CULMINATING SIDE-BY-SIDE PERFORMANCE OF BRIAN RAPHAEL NABORS' PULSE AND DVORAK SYMPHONY 9 WITH THE CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. IN ADDITION TO THESE INVALUABLE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, FELLOWS PARTICIPATED IN PANEL DISCUSSIONS, SHARING THEIR PERSPECTIVES WITH THE FIELD. 125 ADMINISTRATORS AND SUPPORTERS JOINED THE CONCURRENT CONVENING SESSIONS, TAKING PART IN STRATEGIC CONVERSATIONS ABOUT COLLABORATIVE ACTION TO BUILD EQUITY IN THE FIELD. THIS ANNUAL EXPERIENCE WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OUR COALITION.

COMMON APPLICATION FOR SUMMER STUDY: THE COMMON APPLICATION FOR SUMMER STUDY IS A FREE RESOURCE FOR MUSICIANS OF COLOR TO APPLY TO MULTIPLE SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVALS WITH ONE APPLICATION AND ONE AUDITION. IN FY23, EQUITY ARC WORKED WITH 15 PARTNERING PROGRAMS TO REFINE AND PRESENT THE COMMON APPLICATION '23, ULTIMATELY SERVING 156 INDIVIDUAL APPLICANTS WHO RECEIVED OVER $260K COLLECTIVELY IN SUPPORT TO ATTEND THEIR SUMMER PROGRAM OF CHOICE. A VIRTUAL SUMMER STUDY FAIR AND SHARED EXCERPT LIST WERE IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS SEASON. EQUITY ARC PAID THE APPLICATION FEES FOR ALL ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS, AND EACH PARTNER RENEWED THEIR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING AT LEAST ONE FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP TO AN EQUITY ARC FELLOW.

MEMBER SERVICES: INCREASING AND IMPROVING THE SERVICES PROVIDED TO MEMBERS WAS A STRATEGIC PRIORITY FOR THIS PAST SEASON. KEY PROJECTS INCLUDED LAUNCHING A VIRTUAL EVENT SERIES FOR MEMBERS, REFINING OUR ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY, AND INVESTING IN A ROBUST WEBSITE TO CREATE MORE ONLINE RESOURCES AND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS. EQUITY ARC IS ALSO DEVELOPING AND SOFT-LAUNCHING CONSULTING SERVICES FOR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS EDI GUIDANCE AND ADVISING ON EQUITABLE PRACTICES FOR EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS.

NATIONAL COLLECTIVE FOR MUSICAL PATHWAYS: IN FALL OF 2022, EQUITY ARC LAUNCHED THE NATIONAL COLLECTIVE FOR MUSICAL PATHWAYS, AN ALLIANCE OF RIGOROUS PRECOLLEGE MUSIC TRAINING PROGRAMS COMMITTED TO REMOVING BARRIERS AND ACCELERATING THE PROGRESS OF BIPOC MUSICIANS. THIS WAS A CULMINATION OF ROUNDTABLE CONVERSATIONS AT THE 2022 YOUTH IN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SUMMIT IN CHICAGO. THE COLLECTIVE BEGAN WITH 12 PROGRAMS, SOME THAT HAVE BEEN OPERATING FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND OTHERS THAT WERE ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. THIS DIVERSE GROUP OF PROGRAMS ACROSS THE NATION CREATES OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE INSIGHTS, LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, AND DEVELOP COLLECTIVE INITIATIVES TO ADVANCE EQUITY IN CLASSICAL MUSIC. THE INCREASED VISIBILITY OF THE COLLECTIVE HAS GIVEN NEWLY ESTABLISHED AND PREEXISTING PATHWAYS PROGRAMS A PLACE TO FIND GUIDANCE AND HAS ATTRACTED MAJOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. EQUITY ARC PROVIDES CONSULTING SERVICES TO MEMBERS OF THE COLLECTIVE FOR PURPOSES INCLUDING EVENTS DESIGN AND DEVELOPING STRATEGIC GOALS. EQUITY ARC STAFF PROVIDE CONSULTATION AND EXTERNAL CONSULTANTS ARE ENGAGED AS NEEDED.