Do you want to achieve greater DEIB – short for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging – in your personal or professional life?
I do, and in my quest, I have gained a greater depth of understanding of DEIB and have discovered 3 keys to more successfully achieving DEIB. Allow me to elaborate…
I have the privilege of serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Delphi Opera House (DOH), a historic American theatre, built in 1865. In that capacity, one of my responsibilities is obtaining grants to support our work as a community venue for celebrating arts and culture.
In this post, I will share what we learned while working on a DEIB initiative, and in the next post, I will share the 3 keys we discovered that led to successfully achieving DEIB.
Grants are a catalyst for change
A year ago, the League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT) initiated a grant program to support DEIB efforts in member theatres. We jumped at this opportunity because one of our goals is for everyone in our small, rural community to feel welcome in the opera house and to take pride in its history, beauty, and artistic excellence.
Delphi, Indiana, population 3,000, is the county seat of agricultural Carroll County in which 92% of the residents are white. The largest non-white population group is Latino at 5.1%, including people who are new to Carroll County as well as ones who have resided here for multiple generations. Countries of origin are primarily Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and El Salvador.
Could this grant help us reach this population, which had previously minimal contact with our historic facility and its programs, help them feel welcome, and become involved, fully participating in our programming?
Our grant proposal matched the LHAT category to “meet the needs of an underserved population within our community whose voices need to be amplified. Our stage could be their megaphone.”
What writing our definition of DEIB taught us
Within the grant proposal, we were required to define what DEIB meant to us. This is what we wrote…
Delphi Opera House, Inc. defines the concepts of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging as creating an environment where everyone is welcome and celebrated, feels heard and seen, is treated fairly and respectfully, and where everyone feels like they belong.
Diversity...
is celebrated and encouraged among our board, staff, volunteers, members, performers, and patrons. In a county that is >92% white, we go out of our way to promote diversity of not only race, but all other demographic categories.
Our board represents diverse backgrounds, ages, races, genders, sexual orientations, and more. Our two staff members are significantly younger, bringing the voice of their generation to the table.
Equity...
refers to providing fair and equal access to our facilities and programs. We strive to create opportunities for people of all nationalities, socioeconomic levels, abilities, and interests.
For example, our art enrichment program for youth provides free classes for students in grades K-12 throughout the year providing all supplies, transportation, and refreshments, creating a barrier-free program.
Inclusion...
demonstrates respect for all. Programs are planned with input from patrons and members of our target populations. We listen to their needs and design programs to meet those needs.
For example, in this grant, the programs we proposed were conceived by individuals from the Latino community and those who work most closely with this population. The art enrichment program was developed with input from educators, artists, parents, and other members of the community.
Belonging...
means creating an environment where everyone feels accepted. We design and host events throughout the year welcoming people from all walks of life to learn, connect with others, be entertained, and more.
These include art shows, poetry readings, school field trips, and tours of our historic venue. Additionally, our facility is available for use by individuals and organizations on a sliding scale.
Our goal is to create a place where our community feels at home. Our house is your home.
How do YOU define DEIB? You cannot achieve something if you can’t describe what it is.
“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
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