Capstone Project
During my time as a DIAL Intern, I had the pleasure of
working in collaboration with the municipality office, Metro Arts Nashville while assisting the community engagement manager of the Nashville Ballet, Briona Richardson. I helped plan and contribute to the development of twenty different community engagement programming events for the Nashville Ballet centered on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. One of the most important learning moments of this professional experience was the exposure I gained to navigating inclusive accessibility initiatives in order to dismantle ableist norms in the performing arts.
Most of my summer involved researching local and private partners for collaborative programming in an effort to portray classical ballet as an inclusive cultural experience. I enjoyed articulating initiatives, alternative views, and diverse perspectives throughout Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-oriented meetings and seminars with the Nashville Ballet, Metro Arts, and Americans for the Arts.
What have you learned about yourself?
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"I need to pace myself, diversity equity and inclusion-based work can be exhausting. I may not make all the changes I wish for in three months, but a lot can be done in one year or even 10."
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Throughout my time as a DIAL Intern based in Nashville, Tennesse I witnessed the essence of social tensions in ways that I have not in the past. It is also important to mention that I was a virtual intern and still managed to discern why municipal offices like Metro Arts are so important Nashville as the city continues to embrace its expanding diversity. More importantly, I have the upmost respect for organizations that allow of introspective evaluations such as the investigation highlighted in the article hyperlinked above. Accountability and envisionment can coexist.
