In the Community
We are a community-oriented project working toward making San Diego more accessible to artists, and making the arts more accessible to San Diegans. Diversity, equity, access, and inclusion are not buzzwords or dirty words, they are simply synonyms for care and integral to how we show up in the community, how we program events and initiatives, and how we build relationships.
We work with our whole heart with a commitment to learn and grow. It's not always perfect (what kind of capitalist bs is perfection, anyway?), but it's always in earnest, to reduce harm and barriers to the best of our ability and capacity.
Read on to learn more about our current community initiatives!
We work with our whole heart with a commitment to learn and grow. It's not always perfect (what kind of capitalist bs is perfection, anyway?), but it's always in earnest, to reduce harm and barriers to the best of our ability and capacity.
Read on to learn more about our current community initiatives!
LGBTQ Inclusion
Songwriter Sanctuary San Diego is intentionally queer-inclusive in how we hold space for both artists and audiences. While our programming is not religiously affiliated, we acknowledge the harm many LGBTQ+ people have experienced in church spaces. In partnership with Normal Heights United, a progressive and affirming venue, we work to reclaim that setting as one of safety, expression, and belonging. The series was founded by a queer artist and is now led by a queer President, with multiple LGBTQ+ board members shaping its direction. Since our inception, we have hosted an annual Pride showcase with accompanying educational and safety resources, while maintaining inclusive booking practices year-round. More than a third of our artists identify as LGBTQ+, reflecting an ongoing commitment to visibility, equity, and care on and off the stage.
Songwriter Sanctuary Collage for SD Pride 2026 (LGBTQ Artists and Allies) with Pride Logo
Anti-Racism & Cultural Representation
Our booking practices are intentionally inclusive across race and cultural identity, with a focus on representing a range of backgrounds, genres, and lived experiences. Pending artist availability, we program around observances such as Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month, switching it up to collaborate with local artists and curators and strive to produce a series that is reflective of the community it serves. Such events create opportunities to share resources through direct email communication and our online Resource Hub, extending impact beyond a single concert. Our curator is a palm-colored person who understands that dismantling both internal and systemic racism is ongoing work. She actively engages in anti-racism education, including training on dismantling oppression and anti-Blackness in organizations, and participates in ongoing conversations about safety and belonging as a part of Folk Alliance International's Cultural Equity Council.
We stand in solidarity with movements for liberation, including Palestinian liberation, and with all communities resisting displacement, violence, and erasure. We often share relevant literature and resources on safety, liberation, and community defense at our events. ICE is not welcome in our space.
We stand in solidarity with movements for liberation, including Palestinian liberation, and with all communities resisting displacement, violence, and erasure. We often share relevant literature and resources on safety, liberation, and community defense at our events. ICE is not welcome in our space.
Hip Hop artist Riston Diggs performs at 2026 Black History Month concert - photo by Alfonso De Alba
Gender Equity
As one of the most gender-inclusive series in San Diego, led by a Board comprised of all women, our booking practices consistently center women and gender-marginalized artists, surpassing not only local but dismal industry norms.
Baby Bushka members Heather Nation, Nancy Ross, Batya MacAdam-Somer, Marie Haddad, and Leah Bowden enjoy a standing ovation at our March 2026 Women's History Month concert
Disability Inclusion & Accessibility
Our approach to disability inclusion and accessibility starts with the belief that access should be built into our digital and physical spaces because all of us are navigating a human experience in bodies that belong.
Though we showcase disabled artists throughout each season, our Disability Pride programming offers an opportunity to platform artist-advocates while offering additional education and resources to our community via printed literature, email, and our online Resource Hub. We are committed to continually expanding disability access, and we are actively seeking the partnerships necessary to reduce access barriers. In 2026, we increased ASL access from 1 to 4 concerts, and will continue to source funding until ASL access as a constant service at every show. We also envision a captioned, livestream ticketing option for those who can not / choose not to physically attend.
We are informed by both lived experience and ongoing professional practice, including Lindsay's contract work with SDCCD Disability Support Programs & Services. You can read our full accessibility statement on our Homepage.
Though we showcase disabled artists throughout each season, our Disability Pride programming offers an opportunity to platform artist-advocates while offering additional education and resources to our community via printed literature, email, and our online Resource Hub. We are committed to continually expanding disability access, and we are actively seeking the partnerships necessary to reduce access barriers. In 2026, we increased ASL access from 1 to 4 concerts, and will continue to source funding until ASL access as a constant service at every show. We also envision a captioned, livestream ticketing option for those who can not / choose not to physically attend.
We are informed by both lived experience and ongoing professional practice, including Lindsay's contract work with SDCCD Disability Support Programs & Services. You can read our full accessibility statement on our Homepage.
Basic Needs
We recognize that artists can’t create if their basic needs aren’t being met, and San Diegans can't enjoy the magic of local arts offerings if such events are out of their price range. Our model is built to reduce barriers on both sides. Advance ticket and door donations go directly to the performers (thanks to the generosity of our venue partner and volunteers), while our donation-based structure ensures no one is turned away for lack of funds.
Beyond the stage, our Resource Hub shares opportunities, tools, and community knowledge to support artists navigating the realities of living and working in San Diego, while our Artist Access Network reimagines relationships between our artists and local businesses, carving out new pathways toward financial sustainability outside of gigs and grants.
Our Pre-Show Pantry Jams also bring the community together in the spirit of meeting our neighbors' basic needs. Prior to each concert, volunteer buskers perform unplugged tunes just outside the venue's community pantry, fridge, and closet, and we encourage our attendees to arrive early with donations of food and essentials. It’s a small but tangible way to build connections amongst artists, attendees, and neighbors while practicing basic principles of mutual aid, food justice, and community care.
Beyond the stage, our Resource Hub shares opportunities, tools, and community knowledge to support artists navigating the realities of living and working in San Diego, while our Artist Access Network reimagines relationships between our artists and local businesses, carving out new pathways toward financial sustainability outside of gigs and grants.
Our Pre-Show Pantry Jams also bring the community together in the spirit of meeting our neighbors' basic needs. Prior to each concert, volunteer buskers perform unplugged tunes just outside the venue's community pantry, fridge, and closet, and we encourage our attendees to arrive early with donations of food and essentials. It’s a small but tangible way to build connections amongst artists, attendees, and neighbors while practicing basic principles of mutual aid, food justice, and community care.
The Calabio Twins busking at April 2026 pre-show Pantry Jam - photo by Alfonso de Alba
San Diego Songwriters
At the heart of everything we do are San Diego’s songwriters. This is a cost-prohibitive town to live, work, and create, and we have witnessed too many artists quit or move before they really even have a chance to explore their artistry. That is why we prefer to operate more as a creative cohort rather than an event producer. Through sustained connections and shared resources, we can transform a competitive and exploitative industry into a values-aligned community of care.
As Songwriter Sanctuary transitions into our nonprofit era, we are doing so out of necessity. Our 501c3 status allows us to access resources, build partnerships, and enter conversations with other arts and culture bearers, tourism leaders, and policymakers. We are ultimately advocating for San Diego to invest in the arts and represent itself as a legitimate home for original music. The city boasts a deep musical history and lore, incredible cultural diversity, and nonstop talent. There is no reason we cannot be positioned alongside places like Austin, Nashville, or Los Angeles as an original music destination.
Where we struggle: We are not interested in replicating harmful systems to realize our goals. We do not believe in building upon unpaid labor, yet we recognize that a project so committed to adequate artist pay and proper accessibility will need to rely on many volunteer and community contributions, particularly from leadership, who are artists themselves. That tension is real and must be named as a small team surviving the very systems we resist. But we believe if anyone knows how to resolve tension innovative ways, it's songwriters. We're crafty like that.
As Songwriter Sanctuary transitions into our nonprofit era, we are doing so out of necessity. Our 501c3 status allows us to access resources, build partnerships, and enter conversations with other arts and culture bearers, tourism leaders, and policymakers. We are ultimately advocating for San Diego to invest in the arts and represent itself as a legitimate home for original music. The city boasts a deep musical history and lore, incredible cultural diversity, and nonstop talent. There is no reason we cannot be positioned alongside places like Austin, Nashville, or Los Angeles as an original music destination.
Where we struggle: We are not interested in replicating harmful systems to realize our goals. We do not believe in building upon unpaid labor, yet we recognize that a project so committed to adequate artist pay and proper accessibility will need to rely on many volunteer and community contributions, particularly from leadership, who are artists themselves. That tension is real and must be named as a small team surviving the very systems we resist. But we believe if anyone knows how to resolve tension innovative ways, it's songwriters. We're crafty like that.
Lindsay White holds sign spoofing scene from Christmas Vacation that reads "Why is the budget all cut, Todd?" in protest of Mayor Gloria's proposed 2027 budget, which guts arts funding.