The BC Choral Federation has embarked on the development of a comprehensive five-year strategic plan with an Access, Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity lens aimed at strengthening and advancing the choral community across British Columbia. This plan is a collaborative effort, engaging members, partners, and interest holders so that it reflects the diverse needs and aspirations of choirs and choral enthusiasts throughout the province.

Our goal is to create a guide that focuses on our activities and initiatives, enhancing the support we provide to choirs, expanding educational opportunities, and increasing the accessibility and inclusivity of choral singing. As we look to the future, this strategic plan will be instrumental in ensuring that the BC Choral Federation continues to celebrate, support, and advocate for choral and group singing in British Columbia.

We gratefully acknowledge the funding for the creation of this strategic plan which has been provided by an Arts Impact Grant from the Province of B.C. by way of the B.C. Arts Council, the Government of British Columbia’s key development and funding agency for arts and culture.

Land Acknowledgement

The British Columbia Choral Federation gratefully acknowledges that our members work, live and sing on the traditional, unceded territories in this region of more than 200 First Nations whose rich artistry, culture and traditions surround us. In especial gratitude, we salute the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations, on whose territories we house our offices.

Introduction

In August 2023, the British Columbia Choral Federation (BCCF) began collaborating with Power of Discourse Consulting (PoD-C) on a new strategic plan through an Accessibility, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (AEDI) lens.

The main goal of this collaboration was to create a strategic plan, with the input from the BCCF’s membership, underpinned by principles of AEDI. Surveys, listening sessions, and collaborative strategic planning sessions were utilized to co-create this strategic plan.

What we learnt from engaging with the BCCF’s Members

Over the course of the past year, PoD-C conducted surveys and listening sessions to ensure that member perspectives informed our next strategic plan. We learnt that there are areas where we are evidently excelling in, as well as areas we need to pay special attention to in order to improve.

Here’s a summary of what we heard:

• The BCCF’s mandate is still relevant and perfectly sums up the organization’s role.
• Members of the BCCF look to the organization for resources and connection to other choirs and community members.
• AEDI needs to be integrated into all aspects of our organization.
• Our communications and community engagement strategies need to be strengthened.

Organizational mission, vision, and values

As we worked on this strategic plan, we simultaneously developed mission and vision statements, as well as organizational values to guide our work.

What drives our work

The BCCF is committed to:

• Inclusion: Creating a welcoming and supportive environment where people of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities feel valued, respected, and included and where everyone can participate and contribute.
• Diversity: Celebrating the rich tapestry of differences that make up our choral community in British Columbia. We respect the many different dimensions of identity, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, socioeconomic status, physical and mental abilities, and cultural background.
• Joy: Fostering a sense of joy through choral singing, creating uplifting experiences that inspire and connect individuals both within choirs and in the wider community.
• Sustainability: Ensuring the long-term health and viability of the BCCF and its member choirs, adapting to challenges as they arise.
• Leadership: Leading and inspiring the choral community to flourish in British Columbia, and actively responding to the needs of our member choirs.
• Collaboration: Developing partnerships that foster a sense of community and shared purpose.

BCCF board programs

We support programs for all stages of life: Children, Youth, Adult, Senior

BCCF board portfolios

Our portfolios span the following: Advocacy, Communications, AEDI (Access Equity Diversity & Inclusion), Fundraising

Key terminology

While specific definitions for these important terms vary, their main ideas remain the same. These values have guided our strategic planning process and will continue to drive our mandate as we work towards achieving our organizational goals.

• Accessibility refers to the design and creation of services, environments, and systems that can be used by people with disabilities or impairments, as well as individuals with diverse abilities. It aims to ensure that everyone, regardless of their physical or neurodiverse needs, can access and interact with information, technology, physical spaces, and other resources.
• Diversity refers to the variety of differences that exist between individuals and groups. It encompasses many different dimensions of identity, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, socioeconomic status, physical and mental abilities, and cultural background.
• Equity recognizes that people have different needs and that treating everyone the same may not lead to fair outcomes. Equity involves giving everyone what they need to be successful, even if that means giving some people more resources or opportunities than others.
• Inclusion is the practice of creating a welcoming and supportive environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and included, regardless of their background, identity, or abilities. Inclusion involves actively seeking out and valuing diverse perspectives, experiences, and identities and creating spaces where everyone can participate and contribute fully.
• Equity-Deserving Groups (EDG) means communities that experience significant collective barriers in participating in society. Examples of EDGs include, but are not limited to, those protected by the Human Rights Act: race, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, disability, genetic characteristics, a conviction for which a pardon has been granted or a record suspended.

2024-2029 Strategic Goals

Goal 1:
Define and communicate the role of the BCCF.

Part of our organizational mandate is to serve as a resource for our membership. Clearly communicating what the BCCF does will be imperative in growing our membership and ensuring that choirs across British Columbia are aware of our existence and our purpose. This is not about re-defining who we are or duplicating existing efforts. Rather, our hope is to clearly outline how we contribute to choral activity across B.C. and empower our members to thrive in their spaces.

Strategies

1. Develop and implement a comprehensive communications strategy.
2. Increase the BCCF’s communications funding.
3. Open Board meetings to members of the BCCF community and plan public events to share and discuss the BCCF’s work whenever possible.
4. Create multimedia informational videos publicly accessible to B.C.’s choral community.
5. Update the BCCF’s website to communicate our commitment to AEDI and our membership structure, ensuring information regarding choral activity is available, and that resources meet accessibility standards.
6. Launch a member forum to facilitate resource sharing, networking, and communication.

Goal 2:
Develop organizational capacity and sustainability.

Our main objective is to ensure that the BCCF’s work is sustainable and that all Board Members and Staff have the required resources, tools, and skills to lead the organization and support members. We will be re-examining the roles and responsibilities of Board Members thus ensuring equal responsibility, contribution, and participation. By revitalizing the Board and infusing energy and excitement in all our operations, we hope to continue attracting and retaining capable Board Members who recognize the importance of AEDI, understand the choral community, and have experience in different aspects of nonprofit leadership.

Strategies

1. Develop an AEDI policy for Board and Staff.
2. Diversify funding streams to increase the Board’s budget.
3. Plan comprehensive Board orientations for incoming Board Members.
4. Organize longer Board meetings to facilitate more in-depth conversations.
5. Re-introduce the Board mentorship program.
6. Organize professional development centered around AEDI and Board leadership for the Board and Staff.
7. Engage the Willan Council to identify their ability to strengthen the BCCF’s capacity and sustainability.
8. Network with other choral federations or communities across the country for idea generation and resource sharing.
9. Launch an annual member survey to assess successes and areas for improvement.
10. Clearly define the role and responsibilities of regional representatives.

Goal 3:
Increase engagement with underrepresented groups in the BCCF and local choirs.

Through engagement with the BCCF’s members, we recognize that our outreach and advocacy need to reach underrepresented groups. The majority of our choirs are mostly made up of seniors in urban areas. Our aim is to foster a deeper connection with members in rural areas, youth, young adults, and Black, Indigenous, and Racialized peoples across B.C.

Strategies

1. Develop a robust outreach and engagement plan that centers Equity-Deserving Groups and includes young adults and new parents.
2. Support emerging artists and youth as part of the outreach and engagement plan.
3. Collaborate with youth centers, community centers, and schools to engage diverse community members as part of the outreach and engagement plan.
4. Advocate for stronger music programs in schools and post-secondary institutions.

Conclusion

This strategic plan outlines a comprehensive roadmap to advance our mission to celebrate, support, and advocate for choral and group singing, connecting and fostering accessible and inclusive singing communities in British Columbia. By focusing on key strategic goals such as enhancing our communication, diversifying funding streams, fostering inclusivity, and expanding our outreach efforts, we are on track to strengthen the BCCF’s impact and sustainability.

The collaborative efforts of our dedicated board, staff, and membership will ensure that we meet our goals. As we implement this plan, we remain committed to AEDI, continuous improvement, regularly assessing our progress, and adapting to the evolving needs of our sector. We look forward to the next five years as we build a more sustainable and welcoming association that effectively serves our community and advances our shared vision, truly harmonizing vision for the future of the B.C. Choral Federation.

Document Viewing: This Strategic Plan document can be viewed in webpage format (this page); PDF flipbook format (click here); downloadable PDF (click here); or video presentation (click here).

We’d like to thank our community for their generous support!

Acknowledgements: The BC Choral Federation extends gratitude to the BC Arts Council for the Arts Impact Grant that funded the creation of this Strategic Plan, to the BCCF Board of Directors who dedicated many hours to this project, and to Christine Chepyha and Power of Discourse Consulting, whose thoughtful guidance has directed the focus of our organization towards the future.