Please join TCA for its second public session of this year’s Leadership Program featuring Karen Young, Dana Johnson, and Galen Rogers in a discussion around DEAI, moderated by Roy Hirabayashi. Scheduled for October 12 at 5:00 PM Pacific Time, registration is now open.
Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (DEAI) have been top of mind for many taiko players in the past two years as the United States and world grappled with the injustices laid bare by COVID-19 and the racial reckoning sparked by the murder of George Floyd. These events activated many within the taiko community to explore their own individual values and group practices. For those who have been practicing taiko as a vehicle for social justice and cultural expression at their core, it prompted a deeper exploration and questioning. Although our community was socially distant, many grew closer with a shared sense of urgency to include DEAI concepts into our taiko groups and individual lives.
During this panel discussion, Karen Young (cultural organizer, teaching artist, and taiko player), Dana Johnson (performing member and president of Ho Etsu Taiko), and Galen Rogers (taiko and dance educator, director of Jiten Daiko) will explore their own personal DEAI journeys, how it began and where they are going. We will look at some successes and challenges related to DEAI, and how we can continue to uplift one another. This session will focus on the difficulties and strengths of incorporating DEAI into practice while at the same time exploring individual capacity, group goals and dynamics, and how leaders relate to both the local and broader taiko community. For the North American Taiko Community, it’s the beginning to answer the questions “What does DEAI mean to you as a leader and where can we go from here?”
Please note, this session will hone in and focus on DEAI and leadership, but open to all. We invite anyone in our community to attend and think about DEAI in big, nuanced, ambitious and sensitive ways.
Register here to receive the meeting link via email 24 hours before the session.