As part of our response to The 35//50 Initiative in September 2020 we outlined eight steps we were currently taking and were committing to in the future.
As the company and staff continue to grow, we are committed to actively supporting anti-racism and anti-oppression (ARAO) and work against systems of oppression. The following are steps we are currently taking and are committing to in the future.
Here is an update on the steps and initiatives we outlined last year:
PAST AND ONGOING STEPS
Our residency program, Ghost River Theatre’s Artists-in-Residence (Air) was launched last season. Our first participant, Janelle Cooper who leads the only Black female led Theatre Company in Alberta, Ellipsis Tree Collective, joined us last season. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic the project was postponed and is now scheduled to debut as part of Black History Month in February 2022. Regarding this program, Janelle Cooper says, “GRT has provided immeasurable support and mentorship in recent months, and this next extension of their expertise in an industry and community that we have needed to fight for space in for so long is valuable and necessary.”
We changed the title of our former HR committee to the “Organizational Performance” and added a focus on anti-racism and anti-oppression work within our company. As a company, we felt that the title of “HR Committee” lacked human connection and understanding from an organizational standpoint. We wanted to be able to review and change performance from all aspects of the company and this new focus encourages us to work beyond how we have in the past.
We actively recruited more IBPOC and female board members. We are still seeking non-binary and Indigenous people to join the board with the recruitment goal of having them in place by the end of the 2021/22 season. Our current Board of Directors is 58.3% female and non-binary and 33.3% IBPOC.
We have reviewed and updated our Values Statement and our Code of Conduct to reflect our growing education and awareness. We will continue to do this on a regular basis as we learn and grow in the future. We have also created a new Strategic Plan for the company and all three of these documents are being audited by Bakau Consulting, a third-party consulting company, through the lens of equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility.
We have continued anti-racism and anti-oppression training for all staff and have begun training for board members in 2021. Both staff and board members are engaged in ongoing anti-racism workshops and paid consultations, including the Fundamentals of Anti-Oppression Workshop offered by Bakau Consulting. We have also added ARAO discussions in our weekly staff meetings.
For our latest season, which ran from July 2020 to June 2021, we tracked self-identifying BIPOC, female, and non-binary members of our company for all shows, workshops, intensives, and events. Last year, we committed to making this information public. For this period, 50.70% of people identified as female or non-binary and 32.39% identified as BIPOC.
As mentioned above, Ghost River Theatre’s Company Values have been reviewed, audited and updated. They now read, “Collaboration is both process and purpose. Devised material can only arise out of a commingling of minds. Accordingly, a plurality of perspectives is integral: the more diverse the ensemble, the richer and more reflective the output.” We practice this wholeheartedly and will continue working with this philosophy at all levels of our organization. We’ve also included a newly phrased value that states, “Every person who engages with GRT in any way has a right to a safe and equitable environment that is free from any form of harassment, racism, or oppression. Our work here is never done, and we will continue to be active listeners in our communities, as well as partake in workshops, learning opportunities, and events to help us work toward a more equitable workplace and community.”
We are committed to taking action by moving forward mindfully, sustainably, and with compassion. If you have any questions or would like more details on any of these steps, please get in touch with Kate Stadel at ed@ghostrivertheatre.com.