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DEIA WORKSHOPS
De-Cruit. Amphibian Stage Productions, 2019. Photo by Evan Michael Woods.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access (DEIA)
Workshop Series
Creativity transcends all barriers, real and perceived. Arts Fort Worth is committed to challenging systemic and historic barriers by building a platform where all have an opportunity to express and see themselves in the arts. Join us as we work to build a more welcoming and equitable arts community. All people who work at an arts nonprofit are encouraged to participate, but special preference will be given to Arts Fort Worth Grants Program applicants and recipients and participation raises an applicant organization's award cap for a FY23 DEIA Capacity Building Grant.
Sam Santiago, CDE, is an award-winning senior corporate social responsibility and diversity leader with 30+ years of CSR/ESG, diversity, inclusion, health equity and nonprofit experience in the travel, hospitality, health, logistics, digital marketing and retail industries. In 2022, Santiago shared his knowledge with nonprofits and gave each attendee actionable steps to lead their organization in diversifying their leadership.
Diversity on Boards: A Learning Experience
Thursday, August 18
Workshop goal: Provide arts leaders with the tools necessary to improve and increase the board composition (e.g., racial, gender, socioeconomic, age, sexual orientation/gender identity, etc.) This learning experience defined a number of approaches that have proven promising for exploring board dynamics, including the use of language to further interests, social exchanges, the political context of boards as elements of a pyramid of civic participation, the socialization and acculturation of board members and the composition and representativeness of boards.
Previous Workshops
Beyond Diversity 101: Micro-inequities, Implicit Bias, and Moving toward Equity
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
Many of us have been involved with diversity training that focuses on cultural differences and respecting all perspectives. While this is a good start, we cannot move toward true equity in our workplaces, organizations, and personal relationships until we address historical and institutional inequality. In order to address the myriad ways that certain people are marginalized based on social identities such as race, gender, disability, religion, class, sexual orientation, etc., every one of us needs to understand our own identities, how we all demonstrate bias that is often unconscious, and how we are all capable of moving toward equity.
Understanding and Challenging Implicit Bias in Decision-Making
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Scholars and researchers continue to demonstrate that we all carry implicit bias involving social identities like race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, class, and religion, among others. This unconscious bias can work against an organization’s stated diversity goals, affecting everything from hiring and admissions decisions to how staff works with clients, patients, the larger community, and each other. This workshop addresses what we’ve learned, and how we can use this knowledge to challenge implicit bias in all our decisions.
Creating an Inclusive Organization: Addressing Conflict and Building Authentic Dialogue
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Many of us desire workplaces and organizations that are welcoming and inclusive and also free from conflict. But these two desires can be at odds. Creating truly equitable and inclusive spaces requires us to openly and authentically address conflict and not shy away from discussions that can be difficult, complex, and even scary. In this workshop, we address common challenges in talking openly about disability, religion, gender, race, sexual orientation, class, and other social identities and practice having authentic conversations around difficult topics.
In 2021, Anne Phibbs, Ph.D. (she/her/hers), Founder and President of Strategic Diversity Initiatives, brought her 25 years of experience helping organizations advance their diversity, equity & inclusion goals. She lead a series of workshops to help local arts nonprofits begin to recognize and address the barriers and biases that prevent equal opportunities for participation and employment in the arts. The 2021 DEIA Workshop Series is generously funded by Fund to Advance Racial Equity at North Texas Community Foundation.