# Artistic Committee Charter *Last updated Jan 28, 2026* ## I. Authority The Artistic Committee is an advisory committee established under Section 4.21 of the Bylaws. The Committee shall act only in an advisory capacity to the Board and shall have no legal authority to act for the Chorus. Subcommittees can be created without Board approval. The Committee serves in an advisory capacity to the Board. The Committee may not authorize expenditures outside the Board-approved budget without express Board approval. ## II. Mission Statement The Artistic Committee serves as a consultative body to the Artistic Director(s) (AD). Its mission is to ensure that SVGMC’s repertoire and performances are artistically excellent, socially relevant, and representative of the diverse experiences within the chorus, the LGBTQ+ community, and the Silicon Valley region. ## III. Primary Objectives ### 1. Curate Diversity * Ensure a balance of genres, difficulty levels, and cultural perspectives (including BIPOC, trans/non-binary, and women composers, arrangers, and original performers). ### 2. Member Engagement * Provide a formal channel for chorus members to suggest themes and improvements for the artistic vision, logistics, and products of the Chorus. ### 3. Audience Connection * Evaluate how repertoire and performances align with the organization’s mission to inspire and entertain the community. ### 4. Feasibility Review * Advise the AD(s) in assessing the performance quality, vocal/physical health, and technical capabilities of the ensemble regarding musical and choreographic performances. ### 5. Budget Planning * Approve a proposed budget written by the ADs for artistic-related line items, including but not limited to sheet music, commission fees, guest artist pay, costumes, stipends, etc. * The Artistic Committee will make its budget recommendation to the Finance committee, which will assemble the budget and present it to the Board. ## IV. Composition & Membership The committee shall consist of the Artistic Staff, including the Artistic Director(s) and Collaborative Pianist. The Artistic Director(s) shall serve as Chair(s) of the committee and subcommittees. Subcommittees shall consist of various singing members, section leaders, choreographers, and Board members or representatives from the committees they oversee. ## V. Meetings and Operations The Artistic Committee shall meet with the subcommittees at least three times per season to steer the artistic vision of the Chorus. ## VI. Subcommittees The following are the established subcommittees under the purview of the Artistic Director(s): ### 1. Repertoire Advisory Committee (RAC) * **Composition:** * The committee shall consist of 5 to 15 members, serving one-year terms (renewable). * At least one member from each section (T1, T2, B1, B2) will serve to provide vocal-perspective feedback. AD may act as a representative for the section they sing in. * The Marketing Committee Chair (or a designated representative) shall be a voting member and advise on marketability, including proposed themes, musical selections, concert production elements, etc.. * The Production Committee Chair (or a designated representative) shall be a voting member and advise on production necessities, including contracts, equipment and inventory, concert production elements, etc. * One member of the RAC will serve as the subcommittee secretary to take minutes to be submitted to the Board. * **Roles and Responsibilities:** * The RAC is an **advisory** body, not a governing body. Final programming authority remains with the Artistic Director(s), subject to budget approval by the Board of Directors. * **Theme Development:** Brainstorming overarching concepts for the season and helps to draft a budget request for said season. * **Repertoire Research:** Discovering new compositions or arrangements that fit upcoming concert themes. * **Review Sessions:** Reviewing scores, listening to submitted selections provided by the AD and the committee. * **Feedback Loop:** Surveying the chorus membership at least annually to gauge interest in specific songs, musical styles, and performance styles. * **Serving on Other Committees**: Members may be asked to serve on other committees to advocate for artistic interests. * **Meetings and Operations:** * **Frequency:** The RAC shall meet at least **once per quarter**, typically 6–9 weeks in advance of a concert cycle’s beginning. * **Modality:** Meetings shall be conducted in person and/or via video conference. * **Quorum:** Meetings must be called by the Artistic Director(s). A simple majority of members must be present to conduct a meeting. * **Recommendations to the Board:** Recommendations to the Board will be submitted by the Artistic Director(s) for approval. * **Confidentiality:** Repertoire under discussion is confidential until officially announced to the full chorus to maintain marketing impact. * **Repertoire Selection Criteria** * **Musical Integrity:** Is the arrangement of high quality? * **Mission Alignment:** Does it speak to the LGBTQ+ experience or our values? * **Vocal Fit:** Is it appropriate for our current membership’s size, skill level, and ranges? * **Variety:** Does the setlist provide a mix of "challenge pieces," "upbeat crowd pleasers," and "heartfelt anthems,” for example? Does the setlist provide a mix of genres and styles? ### 2. Section Leaders * Section leaders shall be selected via application process by the AD(s). * The subcommittee will include the Artistic Director(s) and the section leaders. * There shall be at least one section leader for each of the four major sections (T1, T2, B1, B2). * Section leaders shall be compensated as approved by the Board each year. * Section leaders do not necessarily need to be members of the RAC. ### 3. Choreography * Choreographers shall be selected via application process by the AD(s). * The subcommittee will include the Artistic Director(s) and the Choreographer(s). * Choreographer(s) shall be compensated as approved by the Board each year. * Choreographer(s) do not necessarily need to be members of the RAC. ### 4. Additional Subcommittees * Additional subcommittees, as needed, that are deemed to fall under the scope of the Artistic Director(s)’s supervision ## VII. Annual Review The Committee shall review this Charter annually and recommend any changes to the Board. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://governance.svgmc.org/governing-documents/committee-charters/artistic-committee-charter.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.