Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Cultural Alliance is committed to increasing diversity and equity throughout the arts and culture sector. In 2016 the Cultural Alliance included in our strategic plan a goal to increase diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the Alliance and the broader cultural community. Our first step was to conduct an extensive scan of our current practices and perceptions, which included input from a wide range of stakeholders. From there, we developed a statement and action plan, which is guiding our DEI work moving forward.

We also created an affinity group of Alliance board members, arts administrators, artists, funders and others to inform and guide our efforts. More than 50 members of our DEI Affinity Group volunteer their time to shape, inform and guide this work and ensure it reflects the needs of our members. After collaborating to articulate an overall vision for these efforts, members split into four working groups that address distinct focus areas to help achieve our larger DEI goals:

Audiences: Developing ways to diversify the people who attend or participate in cultural programming.

Staff Contact: Development Department, development@philaculture.org

Boards: Diversifying cultural boards and building support for DEI among board members.

Staff Contact: Development Department, development@philaculture.org

Funding: Exploring how the distribution of cultural funding in Philadelphia can be made more equitable.

Staff Contact: Development Department, development@philaculture.org

Workforce: Making workplaces more inclusive and diversifying the cultural workforce.

Staff Contact: Lauren Gilmore, Manager of Membership & Administration, lgilmore@philaculture.org

We are committed to full transparency in this work and are using this section of our website to keep our members and others informed. If you have questions or would like to get involved, contact us at dei@philaculture.org.

The Cultural Alliance’s DEI planning work has been generously supported by the Samuel S. Fels Fund.