Cultural Diversity
Chorus Grants in the USA
Chorus America’s Music Education Partnership Grants support two-year collaborations between choral music organizations and K-12 schools serving students from historically underserved communities.
Creating a Community of Belonging at OrKidstra
Rebecca Russell, Former Director of Development & Communications, Carrie Lauzon, Executive Managing Director, and Tina Fedeski, Co-founder and Artistic Managing Director, OrKidstra
When you walk down the halls of OrKidstra, you’ll hear the universal language of music around every corner. Laughter as the kids rush to the snack table during their break. And you’ll hear something distinctly Canadian: the beautiful sounds of a community composed of 62 different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. A community of belonging.
Beyond Music Releases Fourth Album of Songs for Social Change
Beyond Music, a global organization uniting musicians from all cultural backgrounds through collaborative projects, just released their fourth volume of songs for social change.
Sistema Toronto Brings Music to Toronto’s Libraries
One of Sistema Toronto’s newer programs brings musical opportunities to young people across the city through a partnership with Toronto Public Library.
Brazil Celebrates Access to Music for All
Post-Carnival, Brazil is showing no signs of slowing down in celebrating its rich musical and cultural diversity.
In Malawi, the Tumaini Festival Is More Journey Than Destination
Kensomah Magombo, Communications Officer, Tumaini Letu, in collaboration with The Ensemble editors
Our flagship program is the annual Tumaini Festival, a free three-day global celebration held in the Camp, showcasing arts and cultural performances by refugee, Malawian, and international artists. As the star project of Tumaini Letu, this festival is the first and only one of its kind within a refugee camp. It highlights diverse art forms including music, theatre, poetry, and dance, spread across five performance areas. The Festival also features a display space for visual artists, a special evening dedicated to film screenings, and a children’s playground. Through everything from music and dance to spoken word and art, the Festival breaks stereotypes and builds solidarity among all attendees.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, Kaupapa Leads to Connection
Hanna Wiskari, Cofounder and Musical Director, Ethno New Zealand; freelance musician & teacher
I had known about Mixit for quite some time. Their work was not only fascinating from an artistic and pedagogical perspective but inspiring in its longevity; the organization has provided opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds for the past 19 years. Still, I was curious to learn more. As a migrant myself, I had found there to be a lack of projects in Aotearoa New Zealand that use creativity and artmaking in intercultural, collaborative settings—despite the nation’s rich multicultural population.
