Our company works in schools across Alberta to help communities tell their stories of place. These communities are diverse in their makeup; we recognize that our company has not reflected this diversity. We acknowledge that in our time as a company we have not always worked in a way that benefits all people. It is time to look at the way we operate and take the needed steps to do a better job of creating a safe and welcoming space where everyone is represented.
In early August we were called upon to support the 35//50 Initiative; this initiative calls for a commitment to change the way our company functions so that the population of our city is reflected in the people that are working with us. The initiative calls for us to strive to have a minimum of 35% BIPOC and 50% female or non-binary people in paid, professional positions within our company by the year 2025. We commit to
this initiative and will be creating a plan to move our company forward to meet these goals. We have started to explore what resources we can access to help us meet our goal. Initially we are looking at providing all of our staff and artists with training in Anti-Racism and Indigenous principles. This is only the first step. As we discover the things that need to be corrected within our company, we commit to continuing to foster conversations and make plans to correct the issues.
At Trickster Theatre, we uphold the following values:
We value equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. We recognize that our community is made up of approximately 35% BIPOC and 50% female and non-binary people. We recognize our artistic community hasn’t reflected the make-up of our community. We will continue to educate ourselves about the challenges and inequities that are faced by BIPOC and Female + nonbinary communities everyday and we will put the lessons we learn into practice. We believe that representation within our organization will lead to a greater equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility within our community.
We understand to achieve this goal, significant investment in the following will be required to ensure equitable hiring practice and a healthy work environment for BIPOC/Female/Non-Binary staff and contractors:
- Anti-racism organizational transformation
- Establishment of
- Equitable Hiring Policies
- Anti-Harassment Policies
- HR procedures (onboarding and offboarding policies)
- Harassment reporting (third party) mechanism
- Ongoing Anti-oppression training for all permanent staff, board, and artistic contractors
We are committed to our organization reflecting our community. This includes our:
- Artistic Leadership (Artistic Director, Executive Director, etc.)
- Organizational Leadership
- Board of Directors
- Artists / Contractors
We aim to have our organization be made of a minimum 35% BIPOC and 50% female + non-binary by our 2024-2025 season. We are committed to tracking and reporting on our progress towards this
goal.
We strive to have our company reflect the amazing diversity of our province so that every child we work with has a role model to look up to and feel represented by.
It is time for us to listen, to learn, and to do better.