Rainbow City Performing Arts
- Location
- Seattle, WA
Organization Details
About
Mission: We are an organization of performance ensembles creating a diverse and inclusive environment for musical expression that promotes the equity and visibility of people in the LGBTQIA+ community.
Core Values:
- Increasing visibility of LGBTQIA+ people
- Focusing on diversity and equity in what we choose to perform
- Strengthening equity and inclusion for our members and patrons to experience music
Rainbow City Performing Arts (RCPA) is a group of musicians all about coming together with our common mission and engaging the community through different forms of instrumental music. We also incorporate visual and vocal performance to create exciting performances that help extend our educational message of equity and acceptance to the public. We create a safe space for musicians to feel they belong and can be themselves. Many members came to us after feeling rejection or discomfort in other musical outlets and stayed to grow their skills in a supportive family atmosphere.
Our members have strong bonds due to our shared mission and experiences that cross traditional bounds of identity. We're committed to supporting musicians of all ages, incomes, and abilities. We direct the core of our charity work to youth-focused organizations and all-ages events. We provide programming targeted to older generations and are inclusive to their needs an abilities among our membership. Our member-funded Angel Fund allows members with income challenges to participate for free. As available, we also provide instruments for no charge to members who need one to participate. The performing arts should be open to all and we welcome anyone of any identity or ability. We are intentional in our performances in all ensembles to focus on presenting music composed or arranged by artists of a marginalized identity. We also highlight themes that speak to the challenges of the LGBTQIA+ community. RCPA helps to fund the creation of new art thanks to our generous donors and sponsors. Initiatives such as our Amplifying Diverse Voices annual commission project have led to the composition of new art by young artists who receive less attention from other funding organizations.
Mission Statement
Rainbow City Performing Arts (RCPA) is a group of musicians all about coming together with our common mission and engaging the community through different forms of instrumental music. We also incorporate visual and vocal performance to create exciting performances that help extend our educational message of equity and acceptance to the public. Our primary mission is to promote the equity and visibility of LGBTQIA+ people through musical expression. We create a safe space for musicians to feel they belong and can be themselves. Many members came to us after feeling rejection or discomfort in other musical outlets and stayed to grow their skills in a supportive family atmosphere. Our members have strong bonds due to our shared mission and experiences that cross traditional bounds of identity. We are intentional in our performances in all ensembles to focus on presenting music composed or arranged by artists of a marginalized identity. We also highlight themes that speak to the challenges of the LGBTQIA+ community. RCPA helps to fund the creation of new art thanks to our generous donors and sponsors.
Initiatives such as our Amplifying Diverse Voices annual commission project have led to the composition of new art by young artists who receive less attention from other funding organizations. Our ensembles include:
- Concert Band: Performs classical and contemporary music for winds at fall, winter, and spring concerts.
- Orchestra: Queers the sense of what it means to be an orchestra and perform High Art that relates to the LGBTQIA+ community and today's struggles.
- Jazz Band: Brings classic swing tunes from the big band era to concerts, dances, and other events around the Puget Sound area.
- Marching Band: Brings music to the masses each summer, participating in parades and festivals throughout the Northwest.
- Sports/Pep Band: Reign City Riot is the official band of the OL Reign women's professional soccer team in Seattle and plays other community and sports events.
- Color Guard: Rainbow City Color Guard is the visual performance arm of the marching unit, bringing excitement and pizazz to parade and festival appearances.
- Drumline: Rainbow City Drumline supports both the marching band and Reign City Riot throughout their seasons and has occasional solo gigs as well.
- Chamber Ensembles: Members organize their own ensembles to provide entertainment for community events, regular ensembles' events, or just for fun.