OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Washington Bach Consort (WBC) affirms the values, rights, and contribution of all BIPOC and LGBTQ+ persons within the global human family.

These communities have suffered highly visible injustices, as well as hidden (and not-so-hidden) systematic discrimination in housing, employment, education, and many other areas of society.

The historical development of western classical  music, including the field of early music, has been shaped by cultural biases. These deeply rooted biases have resulted in systemic discrimination that over centuries has played a key role in the formation of our discipline.

The Washington Bach Consort has mindfully committed to taking its own steps to address such inequities. The Consort’s efforts include, but are not limited to:

• • Expanding our board of directors with additional BIPOC members to reflect Washington, DC’s diverse population
  • Providing diversity training for all staff and board members
  • Hiring additional BIPOC businesses for consulting engagements
  • Amplifying initiatives to hire BIPOC musicians and interns
  • Continuing our free music education programming for more than 3,000 DC public and public charter school students every year
  • Establishing a diverse education council composed of teachers, arts professionals and other community leaders to discuss strategies to enhance educational programming, particularly for marginalized communities
  • Making performances and education programs more accessible to diverse audiences, including DC public and public charter school students from all wards of the city who may be hearing Bach’s music for the first time (62% of our audience members participate in Consort programming free of charge)
  • Ensuring that programming addresses communities of color by commissioning musical compositions from BIPOC composers and presenting early music by diverse composers
  • Presenting performances featuring a broader representation of musical genres together with baroque music
  • Sponsoring community events in collaboration with BIPOC organizations
  • Offering a free “Bach in Your Neighborhood” outreach series
  • Developing concerts and educational programming in partnership with African-American cultural institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities