MEMBERSHIP

WOCA understands the immense mental and emotional labor Black, indigenous, and people of color endure on a daily basis simply as a part of our very existence in this world. It is not our intent to add to this load. The compact application process for WOCA membership* is meant to help us collect and coalesce all of our community’s information in one place so that we can identify and connect members and share meaningful and relevant resources. The demographic information we collect also helps us develop critical tools for organizing, creating space for self-advocacy, and building bridges of solidarity among our members. We thank you for taking the time to become an active participant in our community. We value and appreciate you and your work. 

*Please note that we never want financial barriers to prevent someone from joining WOCA and accessing the wealth of our community, and especially not during times of economic instability and/or job insecurity. We recognize these pandemics are ongoing and have impacted women of color in a disproportionately adverse way. We also recognize that many in our community are on fixed incomes due to the way our society undervalues the labor of women of color. Should life’s challenges currently inhibit your ability to contribute membership dues, even through a pay-what-you-can model, WOCA will waive the fee for your membership.

Many of our members' work traverse the lines between artistic mediums and disciplines like visual, media, and literary arts and they work in and outside a plethora of institutions like performing arts centers, museums, production companies, foundations, and community centers; and independently as curators, organizers, fundraisers, facilitators, and artist managers, to name a few. We recognize the richness and complexity of working in the arts and cultural sector. However, our work is and has historically been catered towards women working in some way to support the performing arts (theater, music, dance, spoken word, etc), which has unique, and often, specific processes and practices.

We ask that you self-identify as a woman of color* – of African, Latin, Asian, Pacific Island, Middle-Eastern, or Native American descent – historically under-represented groups working in leadership roles in the arts sector. 

• We ask that you serve in some administrative capacity to support, in part, the performing arts. WOCA recognizes that administrators’ roles and responsibilities are often fluid within many cultural organizations and that artistic disciplines like the visual and literary arts often work in tandem with performance art. We require, however, that a portion of your professional work be dedicated – in some way – to the development, cultivation, and/or support of the performing arts. 

• While we also recognize that many artists take on the role of administrator out of necessity to realize their work, and many cultural workers serve in dual capacities of artist and administrator, we ask that at least half of your professional life be dedicated to working in an administrative role.

• In an effort to help strengthen the pipeline, we welcome higher-ed professionals working in an academic institution training future arts administrators and cultural workers.

* WOCA uses the term “women” to encompass all those that self-identify as women or with womanhood including non-binary, transgender and cisgender women. Our intention is to uplift and address the very specific ways in which this particular group of people are impacted by various forms of oppression including sexism and racism. WOCA uses the term “women of color” as an organizing tool, acknowledging the expression is a political designation, not a biological one, and borne out of a solidarity movement originating from the labor of Black women. 

WOCA accepts membership applications on a rolling basis. Applications are normally reviewed, however, 3-4 times per month. Decisions are generally delivered to applicants within the same month of review. Membership renewals are conducted annually.

The prospective member completes and submits the online membership application via our Submittable platform. The prospective member receives a confirmation documenting receipt of the application. The prospective member’s application is reviewed and confirmed by WOCA’s Membership and Recruitment Team. Applicants accepted for WOCA membership receive, via email, instruction on how to pay membership dues. Once dues are paid, members receive the WOCA Welcome Letter via email.