Inclusion and Diversity Statement

FOUNDATION

We, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, exist to serve the community through the music we perform and present. We believe that to be a vital organization, we must be an inclusive organization.

Serving an audience that is reflective of our richly diverse Twin Cities community is central to our mission, which we can fulfill only by nurturing an inclusive and diverse organization and internal culture where ideas and perspectives are sought out, heard, understood, respected and valued.

DEFINITION

For the SPCO, a commitment to diversity represents the active inclusion, within both the organization and our audience, of the broadest possible representation of our Twin Cities community. This includes: race, ethnicity, cultural experiences, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, physical and mental ability, education and religion. This commitment also includes cultivating diversity of thought throughout the organization.

COMMITMENT

We are committed to actively:

• Fostering a culture of inclusion and working for equity for all people within our organization and our audience.
• Holding inclusion and diversity as an essential consideration in artistic and institutional discussions and decisions.
• Increasing and maintaining diversity within the SPCO Family (Board, Musicians and Staff), the SPCO audience and the artists, collaborators and partners we engage.
• Building relationships with individuals and organizations that represent a wide variety of backgrounds.
• Evolving our definition of inclusion to respond to feedback and situations as they arise.

We recognize that this is life-long, ever-evolving work that requires investment, attention and vigilance at all levels of the organization. We are committed to ensuring that inclusion and diversity become and remain integrated in our organizational identity.