Inclusive Stages
In This SectionInclusive Stages is a major national initiative to increase the racial diversity of musicians in American orchestras and has been renewed for 3 more years. The continuation of the program brings exciting updates, including the expansion of the Inclusive Stages coalition to welcome youth orchestras, educational partners, and additional professional and community orchestras.
The program includes two primary areas of work:
- The building of an expanded National Coalition aligned around change
- To see measurable progress in coalition orchestras within the 3 years of the program, and
- To see an increase in the field-wide adoption of best practices piloted by coalition orchestras.
- Data Collection, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the current state of the field. Throughout the next three years, this will include:
- Audition Applicant Demographics Survey, which will provide data about the current musician applicant pool, both now and on an ongoing basis
- Orchestra Demographics Survey, which seeks to track changes in racial/ethnic and gender diversity within orchestras’ musicians, staff, conductors and board members
- Inclusion Index, a tool to allow orchestras to assess and benchmark their organizational cultures
- Audition and Tenure Practices Survey, to enable the field to better understand current processes and how they can be improved
League members may participate in any or all of these opportunities, and all are free of charge (Inclusion Index will be free for the first 75 orchestras).
Learn more about the program in the fact sheets for orchestras (PDF) and individuals/institutions (PDF).
Information Session
Upcoming Q&As: In these smaller sessions, you will be able to engage directly with League staff members Caen Thomason-Redus and Sam Andrew, ask questions about the program, and get a better understanding of how your organization may benefit from participating in Inclusive Stages:
Space is limited—don’t wait to register!
National Coalition
The League is gathering a group of member orchestras that are poised to take action and want to work collectively and collaboratively. In the continuation of Inclusive Stages, the coalition will be expanding to welcome youth orchestras, educational partners, and additional professional and community orchestras. Recruitment for the expanded National Coalition begins on Tuesday, October 1 and ends on Thursday, December 5.
The coalition will include a mix of in-person and virtual facilitated meetings for musicians, music directors, executive directors, board chairs, other orchestra staff, union representatives and other key stakeholders. Group 3-8 orchestra administrators and individual musicians may apply for travel support. There is no fee for participation in the coalition.
Not yet a League member? Learn more about orchestra membership and join today.
Data Collection
Over the next three years of the program, there will be a variety of data projects taking place. For the first year (October 2024 through June 2025), orchestras can participate in the following two data projects:
Audition Applicant Demographics Survey
Offered through a partnership with Acceptd and the National Alliance for Audition Support, the Audition Applicant Demographics Survey is an electronic voluntary self-identification form that will provide demographic data about the current musician applicant pool, both now and on an ongoing basis.
Watch an instructional video from Acceptd.
View NAAS’ new Participant Toolkit for this survey.
Orchestra Demographics Survey
The Orchestra Demographics Survey seeks to track changes in racial/ethnic and gender diversity within orchestras’ musicians, staff, conductors and board members. For more information about this survey, visit the website.
The Inclusion Index and the Audition & Tenure Practices Survey will be conducted in subsequent years of Inclusive Stages.
Further Resources
Questions?
Please contact the Inclusive Stages team at inclusivestages@americanorchestras.org.
Inclusive Stages is made possible by a generous grant from the Sakana Foundation.
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