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The Diversify The Stage community rolled out their DTS Inclusion Initiative on November 30th, 2021. Goal of this initiative is to make room for women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community and others who traditionally have faced trouble breaking into the entertainment industry and especially into the music touring industry.
Among the entertainment industry leaders who have already put their name to this initiative are promoters such as AEG, Live Nation, and agencies including UTA, WME, CAA, and ICM.
Diversify The Stage hopes that over time other companies and individuals throughout the entertainment industry will jump onboard as well.
On their website, they state, “Diversify The Stage is a community of industry professionals embodying inclusive workplace practices and enabling greater access to opportunities in live events, music, and touring industries for disproportionately impacted communities.”
The organization was founded in 2021 by Noelle Scaggs, co-lead vocalist of Alt-Pop band Fitz And The Tantrums.
In the two years since DTS was established, the organization has moved towards long-term change by developing the DTS Apprenticeship Program.
This three-phased program includes a virtual masterclass series, mentorship placement, and workforce placement for 25 individuals. It also includes inviting experienced leaders to engage in dialogue and support participant’s career journeys.
The founder’s hope for Diversify The Stage is that the movement will help to encourage global action towards diversity and inclusion in a quantifiable way.
Noelle Scaggs says, “It is widely known and recognized that the lack of diversity in the music industry behind the scenes is in need of an overhaul which has been a long time coming. We hope that our work will ignite more collaboration and encourage other industry leaders across the globe to support this important work.”
“From there we might start to see a shift in the habits that are contributing to the inequities we see in front and back of house.”
This Diversify the Stage Inclusion Initiative (DTS) provides guidance and recommendations aimed towards specific objectives on I.D.E.A (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access), and a wide range of readily available resources to access in support of furthering the DTS mission.
DTS is asking industry individuals and leaders to please consider these measures during recruitment, talent bookings, on-boarding, retention, promotion, rewards, benefits programs, succession planning, and off-boarding procedures.
In an interview with Variety, Noelle Scaggs stated, “One thing we all agreed on is that there needs to be a standard practice across the board for all of the companies to really adhere to in order for this to really have any type of effect. All entertainment organizations need to really work together to create more of a standard practice.”
“As members of the Live Entertainment industry, we are committed to making our stages as diverse as our communities. We recognize that Black, Indigenous, Latin, Hispanic, and Asian identifying persons, as well as women of all backgrounds and identifications, Gender Nonconforming and Non-Binary Individuals, LGBTQAI+ individuals, Disabled Persons, and particularly those at the intersections of these groups who have been marginalized and are drastically underrepresented in our industry.”
“To address this, several leading organizations, including, Diversify the Stage, UTA, WME, CAA, Wasserman, ICM, Live Nation, Omalily Project and others, have pledged to strengthen the industry’s diversity practice by creating and utilizing a strong pipeline of professionals from historically excluded groups and increasing the experience, diversity, and strength of the talent pool within our industry.”
Official Website Diversify The Stage
Official Website DTS Inclusion Initiative
Article on Variety: Diversify The Stage Organization Rolls Out Inclusivity Pledge for Music’s Touring Industry
And on Music Ally: Diversify The Stage: “The first step is getting the message spread”
Storytelling Can Change Lives – Musings of a Transgender Man
Diversity & Inclusion Backstage. Are We Doing Enough?
Liam Klenk was born in Central Europe and has since lived on four continents. Liam has always been engaged in creative pursuits, ranging from photography and graphic design, to writing short stories and poetry, to working in theatre and shows. In 2016, Liam published his first book and memoir, 'Paralian'.
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