Disruption. Action. Change: Session Details

Disruption. Action. Change. is a three-part online series where five performing arts change-makers will discuss the role of disruption as an essential force in pursuit of a more just and equitable arts ecosystem. The series centers the notion that upending existing organizational policy, bias, and protocols are vital to the future of the performing arts as we know it.

The series features three weeks of programming, followed by a summative podcast by Classically Black. Below, you can learn more about each week’s programming. To register for the series, visit iml.esm.rochester.edu/DAC. 

Week 1: Disrupting Traditional Organizational Practice and Taking Risks to Advance ADEI/Anti-racism Policies

Ashleigh Gordon (Castle of Our Skins) and Margaret Lioi (Chamber Music America)

Can arts institutions make small changes toward equity, or do we need to burn it all down? How do we found and support organizations that connect genuinely with their communities, enabling audiences to be “co-creators”? Join us for the first session of Disruption. Action. Change. where guests Ashleigh Gordon (Castle of Our Skins) and Margaret Lioi (Chamber Music America) share their experiences as arts executives navigating both change-making and music-making.

Week 2: Making and Spreading Art That Advocates for Change

Garrett McQueen (Trilloquy) and Joel Thompson (Composer)

In classical music, how much of the onus for change should be placed on the music itself? Audre Lorde famously wrote that “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” So how do those committed to doing the work of curating a more inclusive canon grapple with working to disrupt a system from within? How must the definition of classical music change to become more inclusive, and what might that mean for the industry? Join us as Joel Thompson (composer) and Garrett McQueen (Trilloquy) explore making and spreading art that advocates for change.

Week 3: Disrupting Performance Practice Traditions and Subverting Stereotypes of the Stage

Antonio C. Cuyler (University of Michigan & Florida State University)

In response to the murder of George Floyd and the BLM protests of 2020, numerous performing arts institutions published statements of renewed commitment to anti-racism and racial equity. But how do we measure these institutions’ success in those new initiatives? What is creative justice, and what might it look like on the stage? This author talk-back features Dr. Antonio C. Cuyler (Florida State University and University of Michigan), author of Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Cultural Organizations: Insights from the Careers of Executive Opera Managers of Color in the U.S., sharing his thoughts on the challenges facing opera companies–including development, recruitment, and community engagement– in the age of Black Lives Matter.

Disruption. Action. Change. is a collaboration between The Eastman School of Music’s Paul R. Judy Center for Innovation & Researchand the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance’s EXCEL Lab.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER