The Diversity in the Arts internship program wants art and culture nonprofits in the Denver Metro area to apply to host arts administration interns next summer.
Known as DITA, its mission is to help BIPOC students get their foot in the door in Denver’s arts and culture scene with paid, hands-on learning opportunities.
If you’re part of an organization that wants to support young leaders who are passionate about uplifting equity in the arts, you can apply to host an intern here. Applications are open through Friday, Nov. 8.
Excuses, excuses. DITA’s origin story and the birth of a more inclusive industry.
In 2018, the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation brought local leaders together to discuss the advancement of equity, diversity, and inclusion in Denver’s cultural sector.
During that time, the foundation’s grants director Gina Ferrari told the group that if they could pitch an idea that would advance equity, inclusion and diversity, Bonfils-Stanton would consider supporting it.
“Immediately, the light bulb went on,” said Chrissy Deal, one of DITA’s founders. “Me and Rachel [Basye, Executive Director of the Art Students League] and Erin [Yoshimura, former Executive Director of the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival] were like, ‘Let’s go.’ That’s all we needed to hear.”
Deal, who identifies as Chicana and Latina, said she was interested in developing paid opportunities for young and diverse talent.
“I had experiences working in cultural organizations where I did not feel that my experiences, my lived experiences were considered or valued,” she recalled. “That was pretty formative for me, coming into the arts in Denver in the nineties. I thought, ‘It doesn’t have to be that way.’ But it was that way at that time.”
Deal said she and Basye and Yoshimura were all frustrated by a common excuse: “We’d love to hire a diverse candidate, but there aren’t any. We don’t know where to find them.”
“I’ve never bought that as an excuse,” Deal said. “But DITA just makes it that much easier because we’re building a pool of diverse, inclusive leaders.”
What types of organizations should apply to host sites?
DITA’s board wants to see applicants that have “made strides in becoming a more equitable and welcoming environment for people who come from historically marginalized communities,” Deal said. “They have to have a track record for doing this work so that these individuals who are coming to them feel welcomed.”
Board members also want to see organizations that are clear about what they’ll be asking the intern to do – and that the work is substantial.
Deal also looks for sites that truly integrate interns into the organization.
“I think we’ve all had internships where you’re tucked in a corner and you don’t feel like you should be there,” she said. “So we do site visits where we look at the workspace…to make sure that it is an environment where [the intern] can actually be productive and feel at home and feel like there’s a place for them at the organization.”
Past host sites have included organizations in Denver, Boulder, Evergreen, Arvada, Lakewood, Aurora and Central City.
Any organization in, or near, the Denver metro area that meets the criteria above is encouraged to apply here.
At the forefront of change: A DITA success story
Keandra Hunt moved to Denver for a DITA internship in 2022.
“My last semester of college I was like, ‘I don’t know what to do,’” Hunt recalled. She had a theater degree and a newfound interest in social justice, inspired by George Floyd’s murder. She knew she was looking for an opportunity that combined the arts and equity, but she didn’t know what that might look like.
So she Googled “social justice, paid art internship program.” And along came an ad for DITA.
“I was like, okay, great, I’m just going to apply for it,” she recalled.
Keandra Hunt hangs out at the Art Students League of Denver in Denver’s Speer neighborhood. Oct. 25, 2024.
For her internship, she was partnered with Creative Strategies for Change, a Denver-based organization that facilitates youth and adult leadership workshops, wellness-centered community gatherings, in-school services, and consulting and professional development tied to social justice and the arts.
At the end of her summer internship, Hunt was offered a job. She worked at Creative Strategies for Change for the next two years. Now, she serves as a DITA board member.
“I know for a fact I would not have made it to Creative Strategies for Change if it wasn’t for the DITA program,” she emphasized.
It was a meaningful opportunity, not only for Hunt to advance her own career, but to affect systemic change for others looking to get a foot in the door.
She said she’s never seen someone like her in an arts administration role, or maybe she’s seen one or two people like her.
“That’s unacceptable,” she said. “There are so many Black creatives out there that really just want to be able to share their artwork. But the people behind the table don’t look like them, so those aren’t the stories they’re going to want. And so that was another reason why I wanted to do the DITA internship. So I would have the knowledge and know what it’s like to be behind the table so I can get behind the tables and if there’s a Black story or a story of any person in a marginalized group, I can see that and be like, ‘No, this is what we should be producing.’”
She said a DITA internship is the perfect opportunity for young professionals who want to be at the forefront of change, because everyone involved believes in diversifying the arts and believes in the power of youth voices.
“Being part of change is scary…and it’s going to be uncomfortable.” Hunt acknowledged. But she emphasized that anyone who believes in diversifying the arts needs to help enact the change.
I’m interested in a DITA internship. When can I apply? And when does the program start?
Internship applications open on Jan. 6, 2025. The program typically selects 10 candidates per year. Learn more about the internship program, and how to apply, here.
The 2025 program begins on Monday, June 2 and runs through Friday, Aug. 8.
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