THE CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER INC
Programs
Program 1 [2020]
AS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CONTINUED TO SPREAD GLOBALLY IN EARLY 2020, THE CEDAR CLOSED ITS PERFORMANCE HALL ON MARCH 14, 2020. WITH A REGULAR SCHEDULE OF 200+ SHOWS A YEAR, WE PROJECTED A LOSS OF OVER 70% OF OUR REVENUE STREAM. IN RESPONSE, WE LAID OFF 80% OF OUR STAFF AND CREATED A REDUCED CAPACITY PLAN WITH FOUR PART-TIME STAFF. AS THE PANDEMIC LINGERED ON AND UNCERTAINTY SET IN, CONCERNS ROSE ABOUT WHETHER LIVE MUSIC WOULD EVER RETURN TO THE WAY IT HAD BEEN. NOT ONLY DID MUSICIANS CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF A BLEAK FUTURE AND CAREER CHANGES, BUT EVENT STAFF, SOUND TECHS, ROADIES, PROMOTERS, AND OTHERS PONDERED THE SAME. OUR PATRONS COULD NOT ENJOY LIVE MUSIC AND OUR HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS WERE SEPARATED FROM THEIR CEDAR COMMUNITY.TO HELP KEEP THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ALIVE, WE CREATED THE CEDAR PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL: AN ONLINE CONTENT STREAM. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, WE WERE ABLE TO SUPPORT ARTISTS IN A NEW WAY AND CONTINUE TO ENGAGE OUR AUDIENCES.SHORTLY AFTER THIS PROGRAM'S INCEPTION, ON MAY 25, 2020 GEORGE FLOYD WAS MURDERED IN MINNEAPOLIS. THIS SHOCKING EVENT LED TO THE REALITIES OF RACIAL INJUSTICE RESONATING AROUND THE WORLD. WE AT THE CEDAR DECIDED TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE, TOO. WHILE STAFF HAD BEEN PARTICIPATING IN BI-WEEKLY, INTERNAL DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TRAINING AND DISCUSSIONS FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, SESSIONS WERE PAUSED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. DESPITE THESE PAST EFFORTS, WE WERE COMPELLED TO WRITE A RACIAL EQUITY STATEMENT AND TO PLAN NEW WAYS TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT OUR VALUES AND MISSION.ONE AREA WE COULD BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE WAS THROUGH CURRENT PROGRAMMING. OUR 2020 COHORT OF THE ARTIST COLLECTIVE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS. THE COLLECTIVE IS A GROUP OF SIX BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR (BIPOC) ARTISTS WHO ADVISE US ON MAKING OUR OPERATIONS AND PROGRAMMING MORE INCLUSIVE, AND WHO CURATE SHOWS REPRESENTING BIPOC COMMUNITIES IN THE TWIN CITIES. AFTER THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD, THE COLLECTIVE WAS GALVANIZED TO MAKE PROGRAMMING THAT ADDRESSED THE SYSTEMS THAT CREATED THE BACKDROP FOR THIS HORRIFYING EVENT. THE COLLECTIVE WAS MOTIVATED TO EXPLORE ANTI-BLACKNESS, POLICE VIOLENCE, AND INTERRACIAL UNITY BETWEEN HMONG, SOMALI, AND OTHER BLACK COMMUNITIES AS THIS TRAGEDY MOBILIZED MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE COLLECTIVE FOR REALIZING THE CEDAR'S NEW COMMITMENTS AND FOR ADDRESSING THEM THROUGH PROGRAMMING ON THE CEDAR PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$452.5KGlobal Music Community Engagement
The Cedar, a 501(c)(3) organization, has never wavered from its original vision of building a world where all communities and ages can connect over high-quality, original, global music. Throughout 2023, we presented more than 100 artists and bands, originating from more than thirty countries. These performers, as well as local and national artists, choose to play The Cedar because of our enthusiastic audiences, our near-perfect acoustics, and our highly-danceable floor. Our programming included the return of our annual Global Roots Festival, a three-day music festival featuring musicians from Ethiopia, Estonia, Afghanistan, India and Kenya. More than 500 community members - including many students - participated in the free festival. 2023 also saw the continuation of our annual Cedar Commissions, a program that commissions six early-career/ emerging Minnesotan composers and musicians to create and perform new music. This program is made possible by a generous grant from the Jerome Foundation. To date, more than sixty Minnesota-based artists of diverse styles and backgrounds have advanced their careers through this opportunity. Finally, we deepened partnerships with community and cultural organizations, working together to build new audiences for our global performances. Examples of 2023 partnerships include Minnesota Orchestra, Summer Cypher, Alliance Francaise, Theater Mu, The Ukranian American Community Center, NACDI and the Walker Art Center.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2023 – Dec 31, 2023Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$1.2M
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