Hello all,

 

We are delighted to be helping everyone at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic to further your journey into Diversity, Inclusion and Equity. As we all know, the music world can be a wonderful place to be part of and this commitment that Liverpool Philharmonic are about to embark on will hopefully help a wider group of people realise that is the case also.  

 

We’ve recorded a short video so (for those of you who we haven’t met) you can get to know a little bit about the work that we will be doing together. However, we also thought we’d give you a quick hello and a bit more info about us!

 

Things to help you prepare: 

Despite all the benefits Diversity & Inclusion can bring, it can sometimes feel difficult and uncomfortable to talk about, especially if we don’t feel particularly equipped or knowledgeable about other people’s lived experience. We have created a glossary of terms which might help with some of the language that you might hear us talk about.

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In addition, we have curated some different perspectives which might help you put yourself in the shoes of a few peers who may not have had the same experiences or upbringings as some of us, and what others in the sector are doing to help educate us. There is absolutely no expectation or pressure to read the articles below, which you can explore at your own pace should you wish. 

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• The experience of a soloist with a disability 

• Why LGBT+ representation matters to people underrepresented in the music industry

• An example of what some institutions are doing to help ensembles discover works by underrepresented composers

• A blog post about the importance of representation in movies, even to those who are role models to others. 

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We are really looking forward to working alongside you in the coming weeks aiding you to further your knowledge and approach to being an even more inclusive ensemble in the future. If you have any questions, definitely jot them down to bring to the session (don’t worry, whilst they are participatory, they will hopefully be fun enough too!), or if you have a burning question which just can’t wait, feel free to reach out and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. 

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Until then, all the best!

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Chico & Amy

Doing Diversity Differently 

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An Introduction to Doing Diversity Differently

Chico Chakravorty: 

Doing Diversity Differently is a different kind of Diversity and Inclusion business. This isn't just about how you set up networks and have more representation in your workplace. Don't get us wrong. That's really important. But we work with organisations like the Liverpool Philharmonic to create a safe space, facilitate difficult discussions, enable learning in a clumsily human way, and Do Diversity Differently. As people who have spent much of our professional careers in the arts, we also know some of the challenges that prevent the arts from being as truly diverse as they could be. We help all those in the organisation (whether artists, administrative staff, board members or front of house teams) to better understand how they can be even more inclusive and we have worked with the likes of Opera North, Music Masters, Riot Ensemble, 59 Productions, London Contemporary Orchestra in the creative sector, and other clients including Houses of Parliament, University of Cambridge, Department for International Trade, Accenture and many others on a wide range of different initiatives. 

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Chico Chakravorty: 

Chico Chakravorty has over 15 years professional   leadership experience across various sectors including starting off in the Performing Arts sector working for the likes of BBC Proms, BBC CO, RPO, and then came to work with yourselves as the Deputy Orchestra Manager at the Liverpool Philharmonic before joining Classic FM as a Technical Producer. After leaving the arts, he spent 10 years in insurance, health, and not for profit sectors before consulting in D&I. 

 

Prior to establishing Doing Diversity Differently, he consulted as the Managing Director of a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) firm to make a difference to both clients and candidate experience around D&I initiatives. Through Doing Diversity Differently, he helps organisations approach D&I through innovative and agile means. Through his career, he has always found inventive solutions to fundamental company problems that constrained the ability to grow, whether at a strategic thinking level or during the implementation of multi-million-pound programmes of work. He regularly speaks and writes about diversity at conferences and media (including BBC Radio 3) and is determined to make the orchestral sector as inclusive as it should be.

 

Chico completed his MBA at Durham University Business School focusing on Management Consultancy and Leadership Culture. A keen violinist, Chico plays with different chamber groups and orchestras (frequently as a leader), chairs the board of trustees for a South Asian Dance Company and a professional orchestra, is on the strategic advisory board of a start-up LGBT+ organisation, and volunteers for various charities.

 

Amy-Elisabeth Hinds: 

Amy-Elisabeth Hinds (she/her) has worked at management level across a number of sectors including education, charity and the arts for the past 15 years. Following university, Amy sought to work within the events industry to maximise her skills as a problem solver and strategic planner, seeing her work as a producer across radio, television and live events nationally and internationally, and as a Concert and Orchestra Manager for the London Contemporary Orchestra, as well as in freelance roles with other orchestra and music groups.

 

Alongside music management, Amy’s keen interest in technology led her to work as a Communications and Branding Lead, using her skills as a designer, videographer, and editor to grow, enhance and uphold different companies branding and values.

 

In 2016, Amy was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and since then has been a keen supporter of many neurological charities, working to raise awareness of hidden and visible disabilities. In 2020, Amy began working in an advisory role for the Government’s next White Paper on disability, with a focus on advocating for access to work and services for all people with disabilities. Amy trained as a classical singer and performs across the UK when she is able to.