Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access Values

ArtsConnection Mission

To address the educational challenges for the 21st century, ArtsConnection’s research based arts programs create socially just learning environments. Our programs support literacy, communication, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. ArtsConnection’s partnerships include and strengthen the diverse voices of New York City’s children and youth, cultivating their arts and academic skills for success in a changing world.

ArtsConnection Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access Values Statement

ArtsConnection believes its community of artists, staff and board play a unique role in modeling the humanity in all of us. Because we value the arts as a universal language, we strive to create socially just learning environments that are reflective of the city’s demographics and that affirm and practice the values of equity, diversity, inclusion and access through the various roles and responsibilities we have in all our work.

We respect all communities with which we work and strive for ongoing reflection on patterns of racism, sexism, heterosexism, cis-sexism, classism, ableism, nativism, ageism, religious, body type and other forms of discrimination and oppression that can negatively affect the young people in our programs.

Aligned Action

We strive to achieve Socially Just Learning Environments through on-going practice, reflection and assessment in the following areas:

• Arts: providing and valuing a multiplicity of art forms and artistic genre from around the world.
• Schools and Classrooms: creating learning curricula, processes, and environments that model and address diversity, equity, inclusion and access.
• Staffing: hiring a diversity of artists, educators and administrators who are demographically representative of the communities we serve and conscientiously committed to elevating equity in their work.
• Community Partnerships: creating authentic and mutually beneficial relationships and collaborations.
• Work Environment: building a culture that provides professional development and ongoing reflection on eliminating bias and creating equity in our internal- and external-facing work.

Definitions
Equity: fairness and justice for all people.
Diversity: variety, multiplicity, and intersectional.
Inclusion: authentic representation, empowered participation, full access, and true belonging.
Access: supporting equal entry for people of all abilities to perceive, operate, and understand.

Photo credit: Brian Hatton