CIMA & Breaking Down Racial Barriers present:
The Official Release of the Breaking Down Racial Barriers Report (Volume 1)
Monday, February 28, 2022 | 12:30PM ET via Zoom
https://cima-bdrb-nextsteps.eventbrite.ca

CIMA invites the Canadian music industry to the release of the Breaking Down Racial Barriers Report (Volume 1) to review its key findings, explore CIMA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion objectives and resources, and to learn about Next Steps, a free upcoming workshop series to continue this important work.

Stakeholders from every corner of Canada’s music industry came together in June 2021 to sign the Breaking Down Racial Barriers Declaration, calling upon individuals, organizations, small businesses, corporations, and all levels of government to play a role in eradicating anti-Black racism within our collective spheres of influence.

On February 28, 2022, we come together again as an industry for the release of Volume 1 of this living, breathing, and evolving document, which, based on the original 10-part BDRB series, explores unconscious bias, examines the collective role played in perpetuating anti-Black racism by the music industry, and offers practical methods to confront, address and dismantle existing racist structures and practices within ourselves, our companies, and our networks.

If you have not yet signed the Declaration, new signatories are welcome to read it HERE, and add their names as supporters at any time.

In addition to unveiling the Report, CIMA will discuss its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement, which has evolved over the last 18 months through consultations with CIMA’s Equity Committee,led by Vice Chair David “Click” Cox and DEI consultant Tenniel Brown. We will also take this opportunity to introduce a section on our website dedicated to resources for the music community to support our ongoing commitment to DEI.

To ensure that these conversations and efforts continue well beyond the celebrations of excellence which mark Black History Month, CIMA and BDRB are presenting a new series of workshops: Next Steps.

The goal of Next Steps is to increase understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and BELONGING in the Canadian music industry. Through recurring sessions, the program will see specific disciplines of our industry paired with DEI specialists to discuss and develop ACTIONABLE solutions and recommendations for music companies, arts workers, artists, live sector workers, and more.

BDRB is developed, co-ordinated, and facilitated by creators Ian Andre Espinet and David “Click” Cox, with CIMA as founding partner, and this next set of workshop subjects will be based on the tenets set out in the BDRB Declaration and Report, with an expanded lens for Black, Indigenous, AAPI, and other marginalized groups still seeking racial justice and equity for their work in the music industry.

CIMA strongly encourages that organizations prioritize equity by encouraging staff and leaders to consider these FREE workshops as a necessary PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT opportunity. Dates will be announced in March 2022.

#FREE #ProfessionalDevelopment #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #Belonging #MusicIndustry #Canada

CIMA and BDRB acknowledge the generous support of our partners in making this program possible: The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR), the Government of Canada (through the Canada Music Fund), Ontario Creates, and the Radio Starmaker Fund.

About CIMA:

CIMA is a not-for-profit national trade association representing English-language, Canadian-owned and controlled businesses of the domestic, commercial music industry. CIMA represents a diverse membership of small businesses including: record producers, record labels, recording studios, managers, agents, licensors, music video producers and directors, creative content owners, artist-entrepreneurs and other professionals from across the sound recording industry. CIMA represents over 320 Canadian companies and professionals and 6,200 Canadian artists including: A Tribe Called Red, Tanya Tagaq, Serena Ryder, The Trews, Terra Lightfoot, Tegan and Sara, Whitehorse, The Sheepdogs and METRIC.

About Breaking Down Racial Barriers:

Breaking Down Racial Barriers was initiated as a 10-part roundtable series on anti-Black racism in the Canadian music industry, born of the 2020 racial unrest and the industry’s reckoning with the long-standing issue. The BDRB series was initiated, curated and coordinated by entertainment community mainstays Ian Andre Espinet and David “Click” Cox, facilitated by CIMA and supported by ADVANCE, Canada's Black Music Business Collective.

CENTRED in the voices and lived experiences of working Black music professionals from the vast segments of Canadian music & entertainment industry. The findings have been compiled into the CIMA commissioned BDRB Report Volumes 1, and the forthcoming full length, Volume 2. BDRB has conducted roundtables Canada's East Coast in association with ECMA and it's member MIA's. The findings will be compiled in BDRB Report, Volume 3.

On June 2nd 2021, the 1 year anniversary of Blackout Tuesday, over 450 companies within the Canadian music industry gathered in solidarity to sign the BDRB Declaration to End Anti-Black Racism in the Canadian music industry.

BDRB is presently consulting and partnering with organizations and companies throughout Canada's creative industries in achieving their equity goals.

www.BDRB.ca | @bdrbinitiative