We are a network of professional, working artists who are Black, Indigenous and People
of Color, dedicated to providing comprehensive, holistic training to emerging artists from our communities. We examine and create work For Us, By Us, centering our stories, our skills, and the richness of our heritage. Our curriculum is created according to the students’ needs as opposed to the students conforming to our curriculum. We cultivate space where we feel safe, nurtured, challenged, and free to explore all of our multidimensional identities.
This program is a living, breathing thing. In an evolving and ever-
changing industry, we are dedicated to paying attention and changing to keep up. We commit to transparency as we continue to grow and evolve, remembering that we are all learning together: students and teachers alike. We build our community upon a foundation of honesty and vulnerability. We call each other in, we challenge each other, and we collectively find a way forward.
This is an accessible space. It is our responsibility to create a place for each other and all our unique needs. We aim to break down barriers of entry, including but not limited to financial, physical, and cultural. We listen, reach out, and use our privilege to help one another. Where and when we fall short, we commit to educating
ourselves and making meaningful changes.
We actively listen to each other’s expressions of who we are, what we need in order to thrive, and where we want to go.
We intentionally open ourselves up to vulnerability in service of connection and understanding. Active listening is fundamental in empowering our community and is at the core of everything we do.
We are building the next generation of artist entrepreneurs
equipped with innovative and diverse skills. We encourage a spirit of curiosity and exploration in preparation for the industry that exists and the one you will create. This is fertile ground for all of us to cultivate our unexplored passion, strength and imagination, stretching the boundaries of how performing artists are perceived.
The work is WORK. Artists in this program come to be challenged. We show up prepared: focused, ready to work, ready to fail, and ready to transform. This process requires discipline, endurance and trust. We come out the other side tired, exhilarated and expanded.
We are all BIPOC but we are all unique individuals. We invite
exploration of self and individual identity as it relates to gender, sexuality, and anything that makes you, YOU. We are all multi-dimensional, and we celebrate that and bring it to our work. Our experiences of privilege and disenfranchisement vary. Some people will need extra help or resources in an area that their peers may not.
It is imperative that everyone gets what they need to access the education they want and deserve. Although we are a 100% BIPOC space, we have ALL steeped in systemic racism. We vow to
continue educating ourselves in a way that helps us foster an
anti-racist and radically inclusive environment and have a ZERO tolerance policy for racist, ableist and anti-LGBTQ+ behavior.
We are dedicated to providing an atmosphere that values
the student’s well-being. This commitment is reflected in our workload demands, opportunities for self-advocacy, time and space for processing, and self-care. A fully developed artist is one who has not only developed the skills to perform, but also to maintain and care for their human instrument. The work is important and taking care of
yourself is equally important.