Who We Are What We Believe How We Work Past Productions
 

How We Work

 
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In the summer of 2020…

…in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, we posted on social media in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. This prompted some feedback which highlighted ways in which we have generated harm in past productions. While we knew that there were elements of previous productions that were problematic, we did not understand their full impact, or how individual events were related to larger systems of injustice. The callout caused us to take a careful look at ourselves and the way we work to ensure that our actions are in line with our values.

We began a process intended to generate repair, inviting those harmed into conversation. We worked with Leonie Smith of The Thoughtful Workplace, who facilitated discussions and helped us to understand the impact of the harm done, as well as the path toward healing for all. These conversations deepened our understanding of the pervasiveness of systemic racism, and caused us to question ways in which theatre has traditionally been made which are unsustainable and inaccessible. 

Dark Glass Theatre was founded to amplify voices that have been marginalized and to provide an opportunity for connection and building bridges. We are grateful for the call to expand our understanding and increase our commitment to providing an environment in which equity, diversity, and inclusion are central to our mandate and our practice.

 

How We Work

 

Our Anti-Racist/Anti-Oppressive Theatre Ethos

We aspire to question, at every step, whether our practices and policies actively promote and support people and voices that have been marginalized, particularly those silenced due to systemic forces, and to shape the organization in a way that de-centres privilege.

 

Our Anti-Racist/Anti-Oppressive Theatre Ethos

We aspire to question, at every step, whether our practices and policies actively promote and support people and voices that have been marginalized, particularly those silenced due to systemic forces, and to shape the organization in a way that de-centres privilege.

 

In this spirit, we endeavour to cultivate:

  • Grace and generosity - we seek to be open and humble, acknowledging the humanity of each individual, admitting our mistakes, and practicing kindness in all communications
  • Deep welcome – we seek to invite participation of every person in a way that opens doors and conversations, particularly for those hesitant to speak up
  • A valuing of process over product – we embrace the journey as more important than than the destination, and seek to work in ways that create an environment of exploration, discovery, and joy
  • Appreciation and gratitude – we are grateful to do this work, and we seek to ensure that each person knows they are appreciated and valued, at every point
  • An expansive and people-focused understanding of time – we seek to consider each individual’s circumstances and needs as we work to complete projects and meet deadlines
  • Collaborative decision-making – we seek to involve many voices in decisions, recognizing that the best outcome is found when power is shared generously
  • An openness to face and process conflict - when discord arises, we seek to work towards peace, even when it causes discomfort
  • A culture of abundance, rather than scarcity – we seek to always acknowledge how much we have, and to ensure projects and people receive the resources they need
  • A continual willingness to learn and grow - we seek to foster an environment of humility, where critique is given and received in a spirit of building community, increasing integrity, and creating better art
 
 

Empathy in Action

We believe that stories are a means of connection. Empathy is the thread we use for connection in our day to day work at Dark Glass Theatre. We have come to these commitments not only as a statement of ideals, but also from humbling and deeply impactful experiences where we have caused harm.

As with all people and organizations, we are a work in progress. Our commitment is clear. We see value in all human beings and in all stories that we tell or facilitate through our productions. Here is how we strive to live out that commitment:

 

Empathy in Action at Dark Glass Theatre

 

We believe that stories are a means of connection.

Empathy is the thread we use for connection in our day to day work at Dark Glass Theatre. We have come to these commitments not only as a statement of ideals, but also from humbling and deeply impactful experiences where we have caused harm. As with all people and organizations, we are a work in progress. Our commitment is clear. We see value in all human beings and in all stories that we tell or facilitate through our productions. Here is how we strive to live out that commitment:
  • We seek understanding. This is the form that our empathy takes--seeking to find what is meaningful when working to realize productions.
  • We train ourselves to be free from judgement. We recognize that we live in a world where judgement of others is the default. And our effort is to practice ways of working and being that help to free ourselves from the limited beliefs that foster disconnection.
  • We work to deepen our empathy practice through nonviolent communication, empathic listening, and including time for learning and centring the experiences of others. This includes doing our best to give space to attend to the needs of Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, LGBTQIA2S+, and others who are not part of dominant culture and who are often at the receiving end of dehumanizing and diminishing behaviour and systems.
  • We provide opportunities for our team members to create listening circles, to give space to decentre the experience of those of the dominant culture, and welcome those from traditionally marginalized communities.
  • We provide actors and production team members empathic listening when working with material and in circumstances that may be challenging or emotive.
  • We engage Cultural Consultants to support the development of our care system for productions where we work across cultures.
  • We create spaces for connection and community-building while working on productions, so that we can recognize and provide the support needed to reduce the risk and impact of harm.
  • We address harm in a timely and people-centred way. This includes addressing racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and other dehumanizing acts of oppression. We are committed to attending to forms of harm that we are aware of, and to providing spaces for people to be heard.
  • We are committed to calling-in, when appropriate. We want to address harm in a way that has the best chance of building up the community around a production. We realize that this is not always the best strategy, and state it here as a preferred but not fixed expectation for how we want to foster reconnection when there has been harm.
  • We are committed to being ardent in welcoming the sharing of needs of all production team members.
  • We work to be intentional in creating space for naming accessibility needs and assessing our resources and readiness to meet the needs identified.
  • We work to meet the standards for anti bullying set out by the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.
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Who We Work With

We are grateful to work with Leonie in this process.
Her wisdom, guidance, and generosity are invaluable.

 

P. Leonie Smith

P. Leonie Smith is a first-generation Canadian of Jamaican heritage and founder of The Thoughtful Workplace, a consultancy that uses a relational and skill-building approach to coaching, training, and mediation.

Through the use of people-centred modalities such as Nonviolent Communication, Restorative and Transformative Justice practices, and Sociocracy, Leonie is dedicated to supporting organizations and individuals by finding ways of working that create more space for humanity and generate less harm. Leonie works with groups to understand and develop practical skills to address the impact of systemic racism and oppression.

 
 
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