Tianjin Juilliard School’s Commitment
Tianjin Juilliard School (“Tianjin Juilliard” or “School”) is committed to the diversity of our community by fostering an environment that is inclusive, supportive, and welcoming to all. In working toward this environment, we recognize that we must not only examine steps forward in our internal community but also address the world abroad that shapes our industry that shape our industry. It is only through a central commitment to anti-racism that we can fully deliver on our mission of providing the highest caliber of artistic education to students and actively shaping the future of the performing arts.
Our path forward is meant to be holistic and intentional, with Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging included as a core value and priority of the school.
We recognize that there is much work to be done listening and learning. It is in that spirit that we also include a resource list and feedback link below.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Tianjin Juilliard
Why is EDIB work important?
As an institution responsible for educating and developing student artists who are the future of the performing arts, we believe in the value of bringing together people from different backgrounds and experiences. We view diversity and the broadening of perspectives as a strength, reflecting a growing body of social science literature demonstrating that welcoming and engaging individuals from diverse backgrounds in workplace and school settings improves productivity, creativity, and critical thinking. We will continue to encourage collaboration and innovation within our institution and beyond.
Our EDIB efforts are essential to our pursuit of excellence, both of which are core values in our long-term vision for the school. We work to continually reinforce our mission statement—Tianjin Juilliard will uphold its commitment to the diversity of its community by fostering an environment that is inclusive, supportive, and welcoming to all—by taking stock in the present and recognizing the ways needed to further develop our efforts.
What does EDIB represent?
We use the acronym EDIB to describe our work, referring to our efforts to build a community that is inclusive, supportive, equitable, and welcoming. The following terms are used to capture our work:
Equity: Promoting fair treatment, access, and opportunity for advancement while striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of all groups.
Diversity: Psychological, physical, and social differences that occur among any and all individuals; these include but are not limited to race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, etc.
Inclusion: The act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate and be their full authentic selves.
Belonging: The sense of acceptance as a part or member of a group; an important human need that cultivates value and positive outcomes.
Value Statements
EDIB at Tianjin Juilliard represents the following values:
• Fostering an inclusive, supportive, and welcoming environment for all.
• Endeavoring to provide fair treatment, access, and opportunity for all students, faculty, and staff.
• Building community, encouraging collaboration and innovation, and providing artistic and educational experiences at the highest level of excellence.
• Respecting diverse perspectives and fostering opportunities for broader dialogues and experiences.
• Embracing challenges as opportunities for growth and change as we further develop our EDIB work.
• Continued support, development, and launching of programming that embodies our commitment to EDIB.
Resources and Feedback
In President Woetzel’s initial message to Juilliard School in New York about workshops, he said that EDIB at Juilliard is about a practice and not a destination. As a Sino-foreign cooperative education institution of Juilliard,Tianjin Juilliard will uphold the same practice.
Definition of Anti-Racism:
Everyone is impacted by the system of racism, and therefore has to tenaciously walk against that system. As Beverly Daniel Tatum describes, "I sometimes visualize the ongoing cycle of racism as a moving walkway at the airport. Active racist behavior is equivalent to walking fast on the conveyor belt … Passive racist behavior is equivalent to standing still on the walkway. No overt effort is being made, but the conveyor belt moves the bystanders along to the same destination as those who are actively walking. Some of the bystanders may feel the motion of the conveyor belt, see the active racists ahead of them, and choose to turn around…But unless they are walking actively in the opposite direction at a speed faster than the conveyor belt – unless they are actively antiracist – they will find themselves carried along with the others."