IDARE STATEMENT
Statement on Inclusion, Diversity, Accessibility, Antiracism, & Equity
Adopted by the Board of Directors on November 2, 2024
Background: Our Foundation
Community Concerts at Second (CC2nd) was established in 1987 as a free concert series by members of Second Presbyterian Church. Carefully programmed and presented in the church’s Sanctuary, the series became independent of the Church in 2005 when it established itself as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Overseen and supported by a Board of Directors primarily from the North Baltimore area, for much of its history CC2nd’s concerts included repertoire primarily from the Western European classical tradition. With some notable exceptions, CC2nd events have included very few musicians from underrepresented or marginalized communities.
Through a two-year period of study and reflection, the CC2nd Board and staff examined the ways that musical organizations across the United States have failed to recognize and celebrate BIPOC musicians and other historically marginalized artists. We acknowledged that while such artists have been performing, composing, presenting, and enjoying chamber music for centuries, their work has largely gone unrecognized until recently — both by CC2nd and by wider society here in the United States.
CC2nd was founded and formed in a city that is still dealing with the legacy of legal segregation and structural racism, including in the neighborhood where CC2nd’s main concert venue is located. For many decades, BIPOC and other historically marginalized people in Baltimore were specifically excluded from participating and feeling welcome in many of the city’s arts venues and organizations, as well as many of its more affluent schools, businesses, and communities.
When it comes to leadership, personnel, and constituents, CC2nd recognizes that its Board, staff, and audiences have not historically reflected the area’s population. Consequently, CC2nd has not until recently had the benefit of including and acting upon the perspectives of the diverse community we seek to serve and engage. Going forward, we aim to improve our practices continually in this regard, and we welcome constructive input that will help us to do so.
Our Beliefs
We believe that music and the arts are essential components of a strong and vibrant community. Recognizing this, we must do our part to change structures that exclude any individual or group and act with knowledge and intention to instead be inclusive.
We honor and seek to know better the needs, desires, experiences, cultures, and traditions of all members of our community.
We acknowledge the painful history of white and male supremacy in the structures and institutions of American classical music, and we seek to do our part to redress these wrongs. We will hire performers, present composers, and engage curators, educators, and music lovers who are reimagining and reshaping the chamber music world for the 21st century and beyond, especially those who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). In doing so, we also seek to celebrate music and musicians whose work is outside Western European traditions.
We strongly oppose discrimination in all its forms, including but not limited to racism, sexism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, religious discrimination, and ableism.
Our Goals
We are committed to creating a more equitable and inclusive organization that presents performers and repertoire from across the entire spectrum of chamber music in a manner that is accessible and truly welcoming to all.
We seek to create change by assessing our mission, the artistic programs we present, and how, where, for whom, and with whom we present our programs. We will purposefully and intentionally include individuals from historically marginalized groups in all aspects of our work; as board members, performers, partners, and in our audience.
In keeping with our beliefs and in pursuit of these goals, the Board will pursue the following strategies and objectives. These are ‘first steps’ and will be reviewed and revised on a regular basis.
Strategy 1: Enhance Membership of Governing Board
Strategy 2: Enrich Programming (Artists, Repertoire & Creative Team)
Strategy 3: Expand Our Audience
Adopted by the Board of Directors on November 2, 2024
Background: Our Foundation
Community Concerts at Second (CC2nd) was established in 1987 as a free concert series by members of Second Presbyterian Church. Carefully programmed and presented in the church’s Sanctuary, the series became independent of the Church in 2005 when it established itself as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Overseen and supported by a Board of Directors primarily from the North Baltimore area, for much of its history CC2nd’s concerts included repertoire primarily from the Western European classical tradition. With some notable exceptions, CC2nd events have included very few musicians from underrepresented or marginalized communities.
Through a two-year period of study and reflection, the CC2nd Board and staff examined the ways that musical organizations across the United States have failed to recognize and celebrate BIPOC musicians and other historically marginalized artists. We acknowledged that while such artists have been performing, composing, presenting, and enjoying chamber music for centuries, their work has largely gone unrecognized until recently — both by CC2nd and by wider society here in the United States.
CC2nd was founded and formed in a city that is still dealing with the legacy of legal segregation and structural racism, including in the neighborhood where CC2nd’s main concert venue is located. For many decades, BIPOC and other historically marginalized people in Baltimore were specifically excluded from participating and feeling welcome in many of the city’s arts venues and organizations, as well as many of its more affluent schools, businesses, and communities.
When it comes to leadership, personnel, and constituents, CC2nd recognizes that its Board, staff, and audiences have not historically reflected the area’s population. Consequently, CC2nd has not until recently had the benefit of including and acting upon the perspectives of the diverse community we seek to serve and engage. Going forward, we aim to improve our practices continually in this regard, and we welcome constructive input that will help us to do so.
Our Beliefs
We believe that music and the arts are essential components of a strong and vibrant community. Recognizing this, we must do our part to change structures that exclude any individual or group and act with knowledge and intention to instead be inclusive.
We honor and seek to know better the needs, desires, experiences, cultures, and traditions of all members of our community.
We acknowledge the painful history of white and male supremacy in the structures and institutions of American classical music, and we seek to do our part to redress these wrongs. We will hire performers, present composers, and engage curators, educators, and music lovers who are reimagining and reshaping the chamber music world for the 21st century and beyond, especially those who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). In doing so, we also seek to celebrate music and musicians whose work is outside Western European traditions.
We strongly oppose discrimination in all its forms, including but not limited to racism, sexism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, religious discrimination, and ableism.
Our Goals
We are committed to creating a more equitable and inclusive organization that presents performers and repertoire from across the entire spectrum of chamber music in a manner that is accessible and truly welcoming to all.
We seek to create change by assessing our mission, the artistic programs we present, and how, where, for whom, and with whom we present our programs. We will purposefully and intentionally include individuals from historically marginalized groups in all aspects of our work; as board members, performers, partners, and in our audience.
In keeping with our beliefs and in pursuit of these goals, the Board will pursue the following strategies and objectives. These are ‘first steps’ and will be reviewed and revised on a regular basis.
Strategy 1: Enhance Membership of Governing Board
- We will recruit, actively engage, and retain individuals from historically marginalized groups as members of our Governing Board.
- We will intentionally design and maintain systems and structures to hear from minority members of the Board, especially those who bring experiences and perspectives historically underrepresented at CC2nd, creating regular opportunities to ask tough questions, hear answers to them, and take action. We recognize that such an intentional, systemic, and structural approach is crucial to engaging each and every Board member fully in a manner that is productive to reach our stated goals.
Strategy 2: Enrich Programming (Artists, Repertoire & Creative Team)
- We will ensure the diversity of the CC2nd Music Committee.
- We will continue and increase the Music Committee’s consideration of diversity regarding repertoire and performers, including BIPOC artists, artists from historically marginalized communities, and artists working outside of Western European classical traditions. Programming decisions will be considered through the lens of artistic merit, equity, and inclusion.
- We will program each season to maximize the opportunity to present concerts that will attract and be supported by diverse audiences.
Strategy 3: Expand Our Audience
- We will design marketing, advertising, and engagement efforts to include, welcome, and be accessible to BIPOC and historically marginalized individuals and communities.
- We will collaborate with a wide variety of social/cultural groups and organizations, including groups with leaders and constituents who are BIPOC and/or from other historically marginalized groups.
- We will identify and address barriers to participation from BIPOC and historically marginalized individuals and audiences.