School Of Arts And Culture At Mhp

THE MISSION OF THE SCHOOL IS TO CATALYZE CREATIVITY AND EMPOWER COMMUNITY.

SPECIAL INITIATIVESDURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2021, THE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND CULTURE AT MHP LAUNCHED A SPECIAL PROJECT INITIATIVE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL AND SVCREATES, CALLED THE ADMINISTRATORS OF COLOR FELLOWSHIP. THE SCHOOL SERVES AS THE ADMINISTERING ORGANIZATION FOR THIS PILOT PROGRAM THAT HAS THE GOAL OF UPLIFTING AN INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE AND SUPPORTING THE VIBRANCY OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT CREATE AND PRESERVE THE CULTURAL IDENTITIES OF ALL CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES. THE CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL ADMINISTRATORS OF COLOR FELLOWSHIP ("CAC ACF") SEEKS TO ADDRESS THE DEARTH OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR IN ARTS ADMINISTRATION, WITH THE INTENTION OF CREATING A PIPELINE FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR ACROSS AND THROUGHOUT THE ARTS SECTOR. CAC ACF PROGRAMMING IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION AND A ONE-TIME INCREASE IN STATE ARTS FUNDING. THIS PILOT PROJECT WILL CONCLUDE AT THE END OF DECEMBER 2021.IN ADDITION, DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE SCHOOL ADAPTED ITS TEAM AND SPACE, THE MEXICAN HERITAGE PLAZA, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE LOCAL EAST SAN JOSE COMMUNITY. THE SCHOOL OFFERED FOOD DISTRIBUTION, COVID-19 TESTING, AND COVID-19 VACCINATIONS. ALTOGETHER, THE SCHOOL SERVED OVER 150,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH COVID-19 RESPONSE ACTIVITIES DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2021.

EVENTS - COMMUNITY ACCESS AND ENGAGEMENTTHE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM PROVIDES LOCAL ARTISTS AND ARTS AND COMMUNITY AGENCIES ACCESS TO THE MEXICAN HERITAGE PLAZA; TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON THE USE OF THE SPACE; AND ACCESS TO AUDIENCE NETWORKS. ACTIVATING AND CURATING THE SIX-ACRE, $35 MILLION, CITY-OWNED FACILITY AS A PROGRAMMABLE ARTS AND CULTURAL DESTINATION AND COMMUNITY HUB, THE SCHOOL PROVIDES EAST SAN JOSE WITH A SAFE, ACTIVE, FAMILY VENUE FOR DIVERSE ARTS ACTIVITIES THAT SPEAK TO ITS UNIQUE CULTURAL HERITAGE. IN THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2020, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM WORKED WITH 60 COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO PRESENT RELEVANT, MULTICULTURAL PROGRAMMING THAT CELEBRATED THE LOCAL COMMUNITY'S DIVERSITY AND SUBSIDIZED THE COST OF 90 PRODUCTIONS. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2021, THE SCHOOL WAS UNABLE TO HOST ITS COMMUNITY PARTNERS DUE TO SHELTER IN PLACE ORDERS AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC.THE SCHOOL'S COMMUNITY ACCESS POLICY IS DEFINED PRIMARILY BY THE SPIRIT OF THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR COMMUNITY ACCESS AND ENGAGEMENT:-CREATE WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE AND AFFORDABLE COMMUNITY GATHERINGS AND CULTURAL OFFERINGS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ARTISTS, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY FOCUSED NONPROFITS THAT CAPITALIZE ON THE STRENGTHS OF THIS UNIQUE FACILITY AND LOCATION IN EAST SAN JOSE.-DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS WITH A NETWORK OF ARTISTS, ARTS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL LEVERAGE EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS AND CAPACITY WHILE ADVANCING AND GROWING COLLECTIVE IMPACT.-BUILD COMMUNITY CONFIDENCE, ENTHUSIASM AND TRUST OVER TIME THROUGH CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION, RESPONSIVENESS AND A RELIABLE MENU OF OPPORTUNITIES.-DEVELOP A BROAD MIX IN PROGRAMMING WITH A FOCUS ON MEXICAN CULTURE WHILE ACTIVATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL INTEGRATION WITH THE BROADER MULTICULTURAL ARTISTIC COMMUNITY PRESENT IN SAN JOSE.-FACILITATE MULTIPLE POINTS OF ENTRY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS PRIVATE CLIENTS.-CREATE A RELATIONSHIP OF RECIPROCITY WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND THE COMMUNITY THROUGH "MISSION COMPATIBLE" ACTIVATION OF SPACES.-EMBRACE GRASSROOTS PARTICIPATION AS CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF SCHOOL OF ARTS AND CULTURE AT MHP'S VISION, AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.EVENTS - MARKET RATE RENTAL PROGRAMTHE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND CULTURE AT MHP IS LOCATED IN A BEAUTIFUL MULTI-USE VENUE IN A HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT LOCATION AND NEIGHBORHOOD. THE SITE IS THE SAME PLACE WHERE CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST CESAR CHAVEZ ORGANIZED THE FIRST GRAPE BOYCOTT WITH THE FARMWORKER MOVEMENT. THE HOUSE HE LIVED IN IS LOCATED A QUARTER OF A MILE AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL.THE BUSINESS PLAN WRITTEN BY THE MHP STEERING COMMITTEE IN 2011 IDENTIFIES RENTAL INCOME FROM THE FACILITY AS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND CULTURE AT MHP. THE SCHOOL HAS PARTNERED WITH A FOR-PROFIT COMPANY, GIANT CREATIVE SERVICES, TO ENSURE A CAREFUL, CREATIVE AND ATTENTIVE APPROACH TO MARKET RATE RENTALS. THIS CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL STAFF HAS SUCCESSFULLY INCREASED THE USAGE OF THE FACILITY BY A NUMBER OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND PRIVATE EVENTS IN A MANNER NEVER BEFORE SEEN UNDER PREVIOUS OPERATORS. THE SCHOOL'S MARKET RATE RENTAL PROGRAM GENERATES REVENUE THAT THEN DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THE SCHOOL PROGRAM. IN ADDITION, 98% OF ALL EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE AT THE MEXICAN HERITAGE PLAZA THROUGH THE MARKET RATE RENTAL PROGRAM ARE ROOTED IN THE COMMUNITY. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2021, THE SCHOOL SERVED AS A FOOD DISTRIBUTION SITE, A COVID-19 TESTING SITE, AND A COVID-19 VACCINATION SITE FOR THE LOCAL EAST SAN JOSE COMMUNITY, SERVING OVER 150,000 PEOPLE (DOUBLE THE NUMBER TYPICALLY REACHED IN A YEAR). THE SCHOOL DID NOT HOST OTHER EVENTS AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC.

MULTICULTURAL ARTS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (MALI):THE MULTICULTURAL ARTS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE ("MALI") IS A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR LEADERS OF COLOR IN THE ARTS, CULTURAL, AND ENTERTAINMENT SECTORS. THROUGH MALI'S YEAR-LONG TRAINING PROGRAM, THE SCHOOL DEVELOPS LOCAL MULTICULTURAL ARTS PRACTITIONERS BY GIVING THEM THE TECHNICAL SKILLS, PHILOSOPHICAL UNDERPINNINGS, AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES NECESSARY TO GROW AND SUSTAIN THEIR INDIVIDUAL WORK, THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE ARTS SECTOR IN SILICON VALLEY. SINCE 2008, MALI HAS WORKED WITH 138 LEADERS OF COLOR IN SILICON VALLEY, OF WHICH 25 HOLD DIRECTOR-LEVEL POSITIONS, 25 ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, 12 ARE ARTIST LAUREATES, 5 ARE SAN JOSE CULTURAL AMBASSADORS, AND 7 WORK IN GOVERNMENT. IN ADDITION, SINCE ITS FOUNDING, THE SCHOOL HAS INVESTED OVER $1 MILLION IN MALI MEMBERS AND HAS PROVIDED OVER 10,000 HOURS OF DIRECT INSTRUCTION, MENTORSHIP, AND NETWORKING. WITHOUT SUCH INVESTMENTS, THESE ARTISTS AND ARTS GROUPS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE CREATIVE ECONOMY.MALI IS BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT WHEN LEADERS IN THE ARTS REFLECT THE ETHNIC MAKEUP OF THEIR LOCAL POPULATION, THE AGENCIES THEY REPRESENT ARE MORE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TO THEIR COMMUNITY'S NEEDS. TO PRIORITIZE AND CLARIFY DIVERSITY IN THE ARTS LEADERSHIP FIELD, MALI BUILDS INTENTIONAL NETWORKS AMONG ARTS LEADERS OF COLOR AND DEVELOPS IN THEM CULTURAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS THAT OVERCOME PAST TOKENISM. AS SUCH, MALI: 1) IDENTIFIES FUTURE AND EMERGING MULTICULTURAL ARTS LEADERS; 2) DEVELOPS AND DELIVERS A TRAINING PROGRAM THAT BUILDS UPON AND ENHANCES THEIR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE SO THEY CAN ADDRESS CHALLENGES TO SUCCESS AND STABILIZE OR GROW THEIR AGENCIES, AND; 3) EQUIPS THEM TO SUCCESSFULLY PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY FORUMS, INITIATIVES, AND TASK FORCES TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC COMMUNITY ISSUES AND ADVOCATE FOR A STRONG, HEALTHY MULTICULTURAL ARTS COMMUNITY.