In this workshop series co-presented by RISCA and Arts Equity, we will be supporting small, midsize, and volunteer-led organizations to become more equitable and accessible to all Rhode Island communities. These four spring workshops, presented in two parts and offered via Zoom, will focus on how arts and cultural organizations can actualize diversity, equity, inclusion, and access values through their governance, operations, and programming. With an understanding that time and resources are particularly limited at small and volunteer-led organizations, each workshop will focus on processes, strategies, and tactics organizations can employ now, on their own, with a minimal budget and little or no staff.
Workshops will be recorded – if you can’t attend at the scheduled time, still fill out the RISCA Equity and Access Workshops Interest Form and we will follow-up with more information.
Why this workshops series?
Between 2020 – 2021, RISCA restructured our Project Grants for Organizations and General Operating Support for Organizations in collaboration with working groups comprised of community members from arts and culture organizations around Rhode Island. Based on RISCA’s strategic plan and values statement, these working groups co-created with RISCA staff new grant programs and applications that are more streamlined, equitable and accessible. As part of this work, we heard from arts and cultural organizations, particularly small and volunteer-led organizations, the need for more information and support on how to make changes at their organizations and through their programming.
PART ONE: Building Capacity for Equity Work, with Dr. Brea Heidelberg, ISO Arts Consulting.
Workshop #1 – Initiating Equity Work at Small and Volunteer-Led Organizations: Wednesday, April 6, 2022 – 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Workshop #2 – Initiating Equity Work Follow-up Q + A Session: Wednesday, April 13, 2022 – 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Kicking off the Equity and Access Workshop Series, these workshops will build capacity among small, midsize, and volunteer-led arts and culture organizations to create and sustain diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments for the people working or volunteering at these organizations, as well as their audiences. Specific consideration will be given to the unique organizational context of volunteer-led and run organizations, with guidance on engaging in equity work that is sensitive to the resource limitations they often face.
While these workshops are free and open to all, registration priority will be given to arts and culture organizations & culturally specific organizations that are current or past RISCA grant recipients. Interested in attending or receiving a recording? Fill out the RISCA Equity and Access Workshops Interest Form. You will be contacted with further information on how to register. All sessions will have closed captioning available, but please let us know two weeks prior to a workshop if you need additional accommodations either via the Interest Form, or by contacting Todd Trebour at todd.trebour@arts.ri.gov.
PART TWO: Creating Access & Inclusion, Organized by Jeannine Chartier, Arts Equity.
Workshop #1 – Getting Started: Understanding Dis/ability and Improving Accessibility: Wednesday, April 27, 2022 – 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Workshop #2 – Understanding Neurodiversity and Enhancing Inclusion: Wednesday, May 4, 2022 – 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Following ISO Arts Consulting’s Equity workshops, we will provide a two-part workshop series to gain a deeper understanding of Dis/ability & Neurodiversity that will help small, midsize, and volunteer-led arts and culture organizations identify barriers and discover solutions to improve the accessibility of their organization and programs. Based on feedback from RI’s arts & cultural community, this workshop is designed to provide guidance about interacting, communicating with and including people with dis/abilities and differences to change things for the better and become part of the equity solution.
The first session, Getting Started: Understanding Dis/ability and Improving Accessibility, will introduce, explore and build upon your understanding of dis/ability that will provide ideas, approaches and concrete examples to improve accessibility throughout your organization and programs.
The second session, Understanding Neurodiversity and Enhancing Inclusion, will provide a deeper dive into neurodiversity, illustrate examples of access in action, and emphasize an array of resources available to enhance disability inclusion actions.
While these workshops are free and open to all, registration priority will be given to arts and culture organizations & culturally specific organizations that are current or past RISCA grant recipients. Interested in attending or receiving a recording? Fill out the RISCA Equity and Access Workshops Interest Form. You will be contacted with further information on how to register. All sessions will have closed captioning available, but please let us know two weeks prior to a workshop if you need additional accommodations either via the Interest Form, or by contacting Todd Trebour at todd.trebour@arts.ri.gov.