Diversify the Stage

Jun 16

Diversify The Stage was founded by 2021 Pollstar’s Hero of Live Honoree, 2023 Diversity Woman Media Star Award and She Rocks Award winner, Noelle Scaggs; co-lead vocalist of Alt-Pop band Fitz And The Tantrums, In The Spring Of 2020.

The organization is a registered 501(c)3 organization working to create greater access to equitable opportunities in live music, events and touring industries for historically marginalized and underrepresented communities.

In the three years since DTS was established, the organization has moved towards long-term change by investing in the next generation of music industry leaders by developing the DTS Apprenticeship Program. Engaging with like-minded industry centered organizations like: Music Forward Foundation, She Is The Music, WellDunn, Sound Girls, and Power Up Presents to help widen the net of education, mentorship, and workforce opportunities for college-age candidates from communities underserved and often overlooked, who are looking to break into the live entertainment and productions industry. The Three-Phased program includes: 8 weeks virtual Masterclass Series, 6 months Mentorship Placement, and 12 week PAID Workforce Placements for 25 individuals, inviting experienced leaders to engage in dialogue, support participant's career journeys, and deepen their community impact.

To address more unified actions towards changing the status quo for the industry overall. Diversify The Stage launched the DTS Inclusion Initiative created to engage with Artists, Promoters, Agents, Venues, and Management teams to advocate for more standard practices of I.D.E.A (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) across all levels of the Live Entertainment and Production Industry. The initiative provides resources and tools to support DEI policy, while recommending various resources to help find qualified staff, HR and Mental Health Services, Sexual Harassment Prevention and Bystander Training, and recommendations on assessing venues access for disabled persons and more.

The Inclusion Initiative has gained the support and signature of the world's top touring, events, and talent booking and artists management entities, including: Live Nation, Live Nation Urban, C3 Presents, AEG Presents, WME, CAA, UTA, Wasserman Music, ICM, TMWRK, NIVA, and Omalilly Projects. As well as recording artists: Fitz & The Tantrums, AlunaGeorge, Maggie Rose, The Greeting Committee, VNSSA, LP Gobbi, Kalenda Zanders, Ritt Momney, and more.

The founder's hope for Diversify The Stage is that the movement helps move the needle and encourages global reaction in a quantifiable way. She quotes: "It is widely known and recognized that the lack of diversity in the music industry behind the scenes is in need of a long time coming overhaul, 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."

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