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Equity Plan

We commit to actionable, measurable, and reportable ways to respect, honor, and embrace all of humanity.

People in Native regalia dance with people in summery outfits
Photo Credit: Photo by Nicholas Worden, courtesy of People for Palmer Park/Detroit

Our Guiding Principles

As part of our ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, in August 2020, the Arts Midwest Board of Directors adopted National Arts Strategies’ Racial Equity Principles as core guiding principles for our programs, strategies, and operations.

Based on these principles, we have created an ongoing Equity Operational Plan for Arts Midwest as well as strategies that will be updated each year. You can read about how our staff and board crafted these plans in our blog post “Arts Midwest’s Journey to an Equity Plan

How Do We Define Equity?

We believe that equity means ensuring that everyone has access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. The pursuit of equity calls for challenging systemic barriers to these opportunities and advocating for inclusive policies and practices. Through our work, we aim to uplift and celebrate every person – in the arts and beyond. We recognize that this work will take many years of sustained effort to achieve meaningful impact.

Equity Operational Plan

This plan highlights the current and future directions Arts Midwest is taking in our ongoing commitment to equity.

Download Arts Midwest’s Plan

A woman wearing a colorful dress holds her hands above her head as two musicians playing instruments sit behind her on a stage.
Photo Credit: Suncast Studios

Our FY2025 Strategies

Below, find a list of major actions that Arts Midwest staff are taking to advance the goals in our ongoing Equity Operational Plan in FY2025 (July 2024 – June 2025).

We are committed to fostering an equitable arts environment, empowering underrepresented voices, and working towards more inclusive, diverse, and accessible communities. In FY2025, we are:

  • Continuing research and work to map out long-term strategies for relationship building with the 42 Native Nations in our shared geography. We are forming compensated focus groups of selected individuals from the Native Nations in our region to begin relationship building and learn directly from the communities, and creating a visual map of the Reservation Lands across our region that will live on our website.
  • Partnering with the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) to conduct an analysis of Arts Midwest’s grantmaking work in the past 5 years. We seek to understand how our grant making has served different populations, geographies, community types, organization sizes, etc. Following this project, Arts Midwest will identify actions to take to attain greater fairness in how grant funds are distributed.
  • Launching new grant programs and awards that prioritize funding to underrepresented and marginalized artists and organizations. These programs include Cultural Sustainability, ArtsHERE, the Midwest Culture Bearers Award, and another initiative to be announced in the fall.

 

We seek to represent diverse voices, cultures, genders, abilities, and perspectives in all our materials. In FY2025, we are:

  • Developing a comprehensive Arts Midwest style guide that provides guidelines for inclusive and respectful language that avoids stereotypes, biases, and discriminatory language. This document will be ready by Fall 2024.
  • Conducting quarterly audits to ensure that we are centering Native communities, Rural communities, and communities of color in our stories and work. We will share our Creativity News Desk coverage statistics with our community at the end of 2024

 

We actively work towards greater financial-based social responsibility and transparency, aligning our financial practices with our mission and values. In FY2025, we are:

  • Reviewing, analyzing, and finding integrated ways to store and report on our vendor data to understand if we are working with a diverse selection of vendors.

 

We recognize that professional development is essential for career advancement, and we provide all staff with equal access to training and development opportunities. In FY2025, our staff members are engaged in opportunities that include:

  • Attending the Indigenous Media Conference July 25-27 2024 in Oklahoma City, OK
  • Attending the 2024 Tribal Leaders Summit September 4-5 2024 in Bismarck, ND
  • Attending the Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD®) Conference July 29-August 2, 2024 in Seattle, WA
  • Attending the 2024 International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums November 12-14 in Palm Springs, CA
  • Completing a certificate in American Indian Studies from Minneapolis College

 

We believe that education is a key component of achieving equity in the workplace. In FY2025, we will:

  • Hold an all-staff training on racial equity
  • Hold an all-staff training on accessibility

 

Our Journey to an Equity Plan

Read about our journey in creating an Equity Operational Plan and related strategies.

Learn More
Two older adults hold a large, soccer ball sided shaker in their hands.
Photo Credit: Alana Horton
Audience members examine one of Okaidja Afroso’s instruments after the show.

Guiding Racial Equity Principles 

In August 2020, the Arts Midwest Board of Directors adopted National Arts Strategies’ Racial Equity Principles as core guiding principles for our programs, strategies, and operations.

Learn More
A group of dancers in colorful Baile folklórico costumes strut across a stage.
Photo Credit: Temple Theatre
Ballet Folklórico De Detroit and Flor de Toloache took the stage at the Temple Theatre on September 17, 2022 in front of a full house

Living Commitment to Native Nations

Native Nations and Indigenous people are still here and will be here beyond the boundaries of time and politics. Native people, Native land, Native history, and Native futures are essential and intrinsic to the region that is now called the Midwest.

Learn More
Big Read Brings Native American Voices & Culture to LSSU. Linda Batiste-Cohen and Michelle Reed performing in 2021.
Photo Credit: Brenda Austin
Linda Batiste-Cohen and Michelle Reed performing in 2021.

Accessibility Commitment

At Arts Midwest, accessibility is directly tied to our values of equity, integrity, and learning. We believe that compliance to the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is important, and that creating a culture of access and inclusion goes beyond the ADA. We strive to embody accessibility in our attitudes, approaches, proactive planning, and design.

Learn More
Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. Interact artist Briana puppeteering her large-scale art based on "The Chariot" tarot card.
Photo Credit: Alana Horton
Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. Interact artist Briana puppeteering her large-scale art based on “The Chariot” tarot card.

Equity News + Updates