INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY REPORT 2020
THE CITADEL IS GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO RELEASE OUR INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY REPORT ON THE HISTORY OF REPRESENTATION AMONG BIPOC, DEAF, DISABLED, WOMEN, AND NON-BINARY PEOPLE IN OUR ORGANIZATION ON AND OFF STAGE.
On May 31, 2020 we announced our support of Black Lives Matter and our plan to undergo a full audit of our history and status in representing BIPOC communities at the Citadel. Then, on June 10, 2020 we had the absolute privilege of announcing Helen Belay, Tai Amy Grauman, and Mieko Ouchi as our Associate Artists, who helped us launch a variety of new initiatives advocating for increased representation. These projects include the RBC Horizon Emerging Artist Mentorship Program, our first return to live theatre with the Horizon Lab: Where Are Your Stories?, and the just-announced Horizon Series LIVE! with three productions led by the three brilliant Associate Artists.
While these projects have been underway, our entire team, in collaboration and conversation with our Associate Artists, has been exploring over fifty years of archival documentation, staffing records, and more to compile a fully transparent look at the realities of representation within our building. While the Report shows improvement in recent seasons on stage, it also illustrates an ongoing and urgent need for representation from BIPOC and disabled personnel behind-the-scenes. All findings are documented publicly in summary form and in full detail within the Report, which was released on September 21, 2020.
We acknowledge that transparency and accountability are only the early steps towards ensuring our operation reflects the makeup of our community. We extend our deepest thanks to the leaders of the 35//50 Initiative calling for a commitment to 35%+ BIPOC and 50%+ women and non-binary representation among staff and contractors by the 2024/25 Season. The Citadel adopted the 35//50 Initiative to our mandate on September 10, 2020.
COMMUNITY FORUM – OCTOBER 5, 2020
Following the release of this report, Citadel Theatre hosted a digital community forum on October 5, 2020 to gather our community to discuss the findings and provide feedback. We had 75 people (artists, staff, audience members and community members) join us for the session; these conversations will serve as a launching pad for future commitments and structural changes, with a goal of remaining fully transparent and accountable for each step of this invaluable conversation.