Meet the AEC Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality (DIGE) Working Group
Members
- Katja THOMSON, Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts, Helsinki, Finland (WG Chair)
- Karine HAHN, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse, Lyon, France
- Francesca INNOCENTI, Conservatory of Music Arcangelo Corelli, Messina, Italy
- Karolien DONS, Prince Claus Conservatoire, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Monica VEJGAARD, Danish National Academy of Music, Odense, Denmark
- Xiangning LIN, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Singapore, Singapore
- Ron McCURDY, USC Thornton School of Music, Los Angeles, United States
- Alfonso GUERRA, AEC Office Team (WG Coordinator). Contact here.
Goals
- Enabling HMEIs to enhance diversity, inclusion and gender equality
- Fostering access and diversity of educational offers in music
- Opening up HMEIs to diverse traditions, backgrounds and genres
- Supporting emerging female artists by contributing to 2 mentorship programmes
Updates
The Working Group has developed a resource package titled ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Higher Music Education: An Invitation for Action’. With this publication, the group invites all AEC member institutions to explore, discuss and implement practices fostering Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Higher Music Education (HME), inviting peer colleagues to collectively dream up possible futures for HME through DEI work. The publication contains five chapters, all of them grounded on the notion of resistance which can emerge when envisioned changes are planned and implemented in the institution.
Moreover, the Working Group is delivering a series of workshops aimed at sharing experiences, identifying good practices, challenging ideas and perspectives, promoting increased access and encouraging HME institutions to evaluate their educational programmes and policies through the lens of diversity and inclusion. A total of 7 workshops are being delivered overall at AEC member institutions in France, Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Ireland, Greece and Singapore (see an example here).
Also, throughout the project, the Working Group has contributed to several events within the AEC, as well as to different events organised by international partners, as follows:
| Event | Session | Format |
| AEC Annual Meeting for International Relations Coordinators 2022 | Artistic Plurality and Inclusive Institutional Culture in Higher Music Education | Online presentation |
| AEC Annual Congress and General Assembly 2022 | Where are we? – Changing Perspectives | Round table contribution |
| Resistance – towards a more diverse environment in HMEIs | Session | |
| AEC Annual Congress and General Assembly 2023 | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Music Education: An Invitation for Action | Session |
| EMC European Forum of Music 2023 | Sustaining Music in practice – project exchange | Showcase contribution |
| The Festival of the New European Bauhaus 2024 | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Music Education: An Invitation for Action | Session |
| ELIA EDI Platform Meeting 2024 | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Music Education: An Invitation for Action | Session |
Lastly, AEC, together with ECSA and EJN, and in cooperation with the Working Group, has run a mentorship programme meant to serve as an introduction to the music industry for female and non-binary students who are starting to approach their careers, with the support and guidance of well-established female and non-binary professionals as role models, and with the ultimate goal of strengthening gender equality and nonbinary visibility within the sector. A final networking and dissemination event will take place in the frame of the AEC Annual Congress and General Assembly 2024 in Milan, bringing together all mentors and mentees of the programme
Resources
- Resource package: Diversity Equity and Inclusion in Higher Music Education: An Invitation for Action
- Mentorship guidelines (upon request)
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