CalArts launches the IDEA (Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Access) Cooperative that will redouble the Institute’s efforts to confront, address and eradicate the structural, systemic, and societal injustice that are threaded through our communities. This cooperative will be led by and housed in the Office of the President.
Spurred on by the summer of 2020’s social justice movements, CalArts leadership and community members looked inward to assess CalArts’ role and responsibilities as a leader in the arts and arts education. The introspection found that for too many talented artists from underrepresented backgrounds, joining the CalArts community — as both students and faculty members — remains too far out of reach.
The Institute hasn’t made enough progress in creating a more representational and diverse community of artists in the world, but IDEA will help identify, foster, and spotlight the steps needed to keep building an inclusive, anti-racist community together. The IDEA Cooperative will make these measures and processes more transparent and will encourage financial support through grants, philanthropy, and open budgeting via the Institute’s established processes.