Handel and Haydn Society Receives Grant To Boost Equity, Diversity And Inclusion

The Handel and Haydn Society has been awarded a $18,760 grant from the League of American Orchestras to strengthen their understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and to help transform organizational culture. Given to just twenty-eight orchestras nationwide, the one-year grants comprise the second round of The Catalyst Fund, the League's three-year, $2.1 million grant-making program, made possible by a generous grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation with additional support from the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation.

"The Handel and Haydn Society has been committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of our organizations," said David Snead, President and CEO of the Handel and Haydn Society. "The Catalyst Fund grant will help us develop a clear path forward as we lay out our inclusion initiatives for years to come."

"Recent events have underscored the deep racial disparities existing in our country, already amplified by the pandemic's unequal impact on communities of color," said Jesse Rosen, President and CEO of the League of American Orchestras. "The work orchestras are undertaking with support from the League's Catalyst Fund highlights the urgency of addressing EDI as orchestras attempt to confront decades of inequity within our field. We must understand and address our personal and organizational roles in systems of inequity."

The Handel and Haydn Society will use the funds to operationalize an EDI implementation plan developed in conjunction with consultants, The Impact Seat. In the coming year, H+H will begin to take concrete steps to execute the previously identified strategic plan initiatives including cultural competency trainings, artist diversification efforts, and programs that promote organization-wide inclusivity. Continued work toward these EDI project goals will allow for progressive organizational growth and community reach while enabling H+H to better achieve its mission and serve and inspire increasingly more diverse audiences.

Catalyst Fund grants support orchestras' use of EDI practitioners who help implement a range of organizational development activities involving musicians, staff, board, and, in some cases, volunteers and community leaders. These include anti-bias trainings, institutional audits, the creation of formal EDI plans, and work to build consensus and integrate EDI into mission statements and culture. Community building is a key component of the program; The Catalyst Fund Learning Cohort, made possible by the generous support of the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, enables past and present grantees to interact with colleagues through remote and (post-pandemic) in-person convenings as well a dedicated online forum.

Handel and Haydn's 2020-21 Season Performances include:

Brahms A German Requiem September 25 + 27, 2020 Symphony Hall

Bach + Vivaldi Gloria October 23 + 25, 2020 Symphony Hall

Handel Messiah November 27 + 28 + 29, 2020 Symphony Hall

Bach Christmas December 17 + 20, 2020 Jordan Hall

Haydn + Mozart January 22 + 24, 2021 Symphony Hall

Mozart Great Mass February 5 + 7, 2021 Jordan Hall

Beethoven Symphony No. 7 March 5 + 7, 2021 Symphony Hall

Handel Israel in Egypt March 19 + 21, 2021 Jordan Hall & Sanders Theatre

Haydn The Creation April 30 + May 2, 2021 Symphony Hall