Making a Place in the Choir for All.

Grants making choir more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible.

IDEA Fund
This is such a cultural need but we’re disconnected and at a loss for how to ask for it. I feel like more of a human when I leave than when I arrived.
BridgeSingers
Sarina Partridge

Purpose

The IDEA Fund has been created to support choral activity with inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) goals. ACDA-MN recognizes the complexity of these issues and how they intersect with our mission. After a deliberative process that included the voices from all parts of our membership and other key community members, the following three areas were identified as of particular importance to ACDA-MN, and to use these funds to support these objectives.

IDEA Fund Objectives

1.     Removing barriers

  • Geography
  • Requirements of membership
  • Website

Location of directors/choirs is perceived as a barrier to engage with ACDA and its activities. Rules pertaining to membership may be a barrier to prospective choir directors to join ACDA. By reexamining offerings and programming requirements, ACDA-MN will actively make engagement with the organization easier.

2.     Mentorship (career development)

  • Cultivation of prospective (pre-service) choir directors
  • Mentorship (stewardship) of existing early career choir directors

The challenges facing future and early career choir directors are complex, and may discourage people from entering the field. For example, the issues in the K-12 education system may hinder growth of a choral program, or directors working in a non-traditional setting, may not be aware of resources available for professional growth. ACDA-MN views its network of experienced choral professionals as a means to support the next generation of choral talent.

3.     Accessibility

  • Scholarship support
  • Audition/application process

Existing ACDA-MN audition/application processes, means of communication, and program support hinder access to the benefits of group signing. By creating greater access to ACDA’s activities and resources, the choral community will grow through expanded learning and performance opportunities.

Application

Download the IDEA Fund application form and email it to jandrews@acda-mn.org, or fill it out online (see below).

Application Form

Name(Required)
Address(Required)
Email(Required)
You are welcome to upload your budget as a seperate file.
Max. file size: 256 MB.
Flexibility in Funding(Required)
If the IDEA Fund is unable to provide the fully requested amount, will you consider a partial amount?
music unites

Making Choir a Place for Everyone to Thrive