vision and mission
There is a cultural deficit in this country as the civil liberties, spirits, and bodies of historically underrepresented groups continue to face serious threat. How many people feel deprived of full cultural citizenship on account of race, religion, social class, ability, orientation, and other social exclusions? We must recognize and confront the challenge of belonging and dis-belonging. We must disrupt the current culture by acknowledging the disproportionate and harmful effect that our racist and oppressive policies have on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities, LGBTQIA+ Communities, and the Disability Community. We must eliminate the fear that persists from generations of racial and dominant culture terror, and we must work to protect these communities’ bodies, spirits, and mental well-being.
Moreover, our country is stalled in an ever-polarizing inability to engage in productive dialogue. We artists and cultural workers must seek out conversation with communities to which we might not normally find ourselves in proximity, to excavate the barriers standing between us, and to provoke audiences with questions (old and new) about who is given access to our nation’s promise of opportunity and who is systematically, and often violently, shut out. We must build equitable partnerships that offer communities ownership and full autonomy. We must support, amplify, and invest in a platform for community power building, where people can tell their real stories on stage and create their own, self-determined change.
Moreover, our country is stalled in an ever-polarizing inability to engage in productive dialogue. We artists and cultural workers must seek out conversation with communities to which we might not normally find ourselves in proximity, to excavate the barriers standing between us, and to provoke audiences with questions (old and new) about who is given access to our nation’s promise of opportunity and who is systematically, and often violently, shut out. We must build equitable partnerships that offer communities ownership and full autonomy. We must support, amplify, and invest in a platform for community power building, where people can tell their real stories on stage and create their own, self-determined change.
purpose of document
This document exists to establish Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppression practices for Notch Theatre Company and to hold all leadership, staff, artists, and volunteers accountable for sustaining those practices outlined within. This document will be distributed to anyone affiliated with Notch Theatre Company (including but not limited to staff, board, volunteers, artists, community partners, and vendors) as well as be publicly accessible through our website.
definitions
For the purpose of this Policy, we use the following definitions:
- BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous and People of Color.
- EDIA stands for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.
- Equity is the state or quality of being just. It requires that organizations use the principles of fairness and ethics to apply justice to their work. Equity is tied to actions and results, and it requires that systems, policies, and methodologies allow everyone to be treated fairly.
- Diversity is often referred to as the extent that an organization has people from diverse backgrounds represented throughout. It is recognition of individual differences, which may be along dimensions of race, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or intellectual abilities, nationality, language, religious belief, education, and socio-economic background. At Notch, diversity is not a barometer for an Anti-Racist organization, it is merely the status quo.
- Inclusion is the active, intentional, and ongoing engagement of the diversity of an organization, organizational culture, and all the ways an individual might interact with the organization in order to create equal access, well being, and a sense of belonging for all members.
- Accessibility is the degree to which a service, event, or environment is available to as many people as possible--taking into account physical, social, and digital barriers. Our “ability to access” and benefit from a system or entity and the barriers that prevent us from access are multi-layered, intersecting, and varied, and they require time, resource, and commitment. As we are all on a spectrum of accessibility with our bodies changing over time, most people will need to seek accessibility solutions at some point. Disability is part of the human experience. We all need to participate in making our world accessible to everyone.
- Disability we borrow from and credit our definition to Sins Invalid who defines the term “broadly to include people with physical impairments, people who belong to a sensory minority, people with emotional disabilities, people with cognitive challenges, and those with chronic/severe illness. We understand the experience of disability to occur within any and all phases of life, with deeply felt connections to all communities impacted by the medicalization of their bodies [...] and others whose bodies do not conform to our culture(s)' notions of ‘normal’ or ‘functional.’" Notch is committed to social and economic justice for all people with disabilities--visibly disabled, invisibly disabled, sensory minority, environmentally injured, psychiatric survivors.
- Inclusive Organizations not only have a DIVERSITY of individuals throughout, but more importantly, they are learning-centered organizations that value EQUITY as well as the perspectives and contributions of all people. They incorporate and are actively INCLUSIVE of the needs, assets, and perspectives of women, communities of color, individuals with disability, and other underrepresented groups in the design and implementation of ACCESSIBLE policy and programming. (Definition from ArtEquity)
- An EDIA Advocate is an elected member of a Notch project who acts as a sounding board for EDIA issues on-site. They are the first avenue for Notch artists and collaborators to report EDIA concerns. To quote Amelia Parenteau, an EDIA Advocate’s presence is intended to “foster a rehearsal environment so that everyone in the room—actors, co-creators, stage management, designers, institutional and production staff—could feel safe in sharing concerns and thoughts, to feel ownership over the generative process, and to be present with their whole identities.”
- Discrimination is treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit. It can be used to privilege (special treatment in favor of) as well as disadvantage (special treatment against) a particular group or individual.
- Oppression is the use of power or privilege by a socially, politically, economically, or culturally dominant group(s) to disempower (take away or reduce power), marginalize, silence, or otherwise subordinate one social group or category.
- Systemic Oppression consists of practices, policies, laws, and standards that disadvantage a particular group or category of people.
- Individual Oppression is demeaning and oppressive behavior towards and treatment of a particular group or category of people, expressed through individual attitudes, beliefs, and values.
- Anti-Oppression is the work of actively challenging and removing oppression perpetuated by power inequalities in society, both systemic oppression and individual expressions of oppression.
- Anti-Blackness is the inability to recognize Black humanity. Stemming from the legacy of slavery, it locates Black people as property, inhuman and disposable. Anti-Blackness is a fundamental component built into the culture, value system, and creation of the U.S. It incorporates society’s hatred of Blackness and justifies violence against Black people. (Reference: “Call it what is it: Anti-Blackness,” Kihana Miraya Ross, New York Times, 2020)
policy statement.
Notch partners with artists, cultural workers, arts administrators, and other nonprofit organizations. Many individuals face practical barriers and oppressive experiences because of unequal power (both individual and systemic) related to race, ability, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and immigration status. Since Notch is a reflection of the society in which we live, these uses of power may inexcusably exist within Notch as well.
Discrimination and oppression cause enormous harm and lasting trauma and can prevent people from engaging with Notch in a way that fully reflects their ability, experience, and contributions. Sins Invalid “recognizes that we will be liberated as whole beings—as disabled, as queer, as brown, as black, as gender non-conforming, as trans, as women, as men, as non-binary gendered—we are far greater whole than partitioned.” Notch is in support of the liberation of all individuals and strives to operate from an intersectional lens. We also acknowledge that intersectionality came about in the service of disrupting racism, and thus we strive to be Anti-Racist, understanding the centrality of race in all our policies, programs, and practices. Furthermore, we recognize that understanding, acknowledging, and working to eliminate oppression is a learning process for us all. Different people can be at varied stages in that process, and Notch is committed to creating opportunities for learning, both within the context of the work and within our organization's administrative infrastructure at large. Furthermore, Notch acknowledges that this learning can be fraught and challenging. Because everyone is expected to engage with these social issues as per Notch’s mission, we encourage people who have historically held an unequal share of power to remain active in their discomfort. We believe that by leaning into that social discomfort we can advance the greater movement and carry this work forward together.
Notch strives to become an Inclusive Organization that provides opportunities for learning while not forcing historically oppressed groups to educate others or be re-traumatized. Notch recognizes that individuals and groups who experience discrimination have the capacity to make choices and act on their own behalf to bring about the self-determined change that will dismantle systems of oppression for themselves and others, and that our work is to support, uplift, amplify, and advocate for their self-determined work, not to prescribe or control it.
Discrimination and oppression cause enormous harm and lasting trauma and can prevent people from engaging with Notch in a way that fully reflects their ability, experience, and contributions. Sins Invalid “recognizes that we will be liberated as whole beings—as disabled, as queer, as brown, as black, as gender non-conforming, as trans, as women, as men, as non-binary gendered—we are far greater whole than partitioned.” Notch is in support of the liberation of all individuals and strives to operate from an intersectional lens. We also acknowledge that intersectionality came about in the service of disrupting racism, and thus we strive to be Anti-Racist, understanding the centrality of race in all our policies, programs, and practices. Furthermore, we recognize that understanding, acknowledging, and working to eliminate oppression is a learning process for us all. Different people can be at varied stages in that process, and Notch is committed to creating opportunities for learning, both within the context of the work and within our organization's administrative infrastructure at large. Furthermore, Notch acknowledges that this learning can be fraught and challenging. Because everyone is expected to engage with these social issues as per Notch’s mission, we encourage people who have historically held an unequal share of power to remain active in their discomfort. We believe that by leaning into that social discomfort we can advance the greater movement and carry this work forward together.
Notch strives to become an Inclusive Organization that provides opportunities for learning while not forcing historically oppressed groups to educate others or be re-traumatized. Notch recognizes that individuals and groups who experience discrimination have the capacity to make choices and act on their own behalf to bring about the self-determined change that will dismantle systems of oppression for themselves and others, and that our work is to support, uplift, amplify, and advocate for their self-determined work, not to prescribe or control it.
commitment
We are committed to anti-racism and anti-oppression principles in all areas of our internal and external work. This commitment is grounded in our belief that change is possible and that our work, and that of the artistic community as a whole, will grow stronger as oppression is eliminated. Notch will therefore ensure that our work accurately reflects and uses the variety of knowledge of all peoples as the basis for all of our activities; that we recognize how communities have been using their own technologies toward liberation for generations; that we recognize the leadership of disenfranchised individuals and groups to bring about anti-oppressive change; and that we acknowledges the existence of discrimination and make a conscious effort to constantly challenge systemic inequities.
Notch will work to ensure that:
Notch will work to ensure that:
- Our hiring practices and partnerships strive for inclusiveness in process and practice as well as result;
- Notch is guided by, and shares with our partners and vendors, Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook to ensure that our work is presented in an accessible way so that our audiences can engage with the art in a manner free from obstacles, barriers, and oppression;
- Our advocacy work and our marketing and communications strategy with media and the public address the diverse and combined forms of oppression facing our communities, challenge unequal power and biases that lead to oppression, and strive to offer practical solutions to eliminate this oppression, building accessibility into that strategy from the ground up;
- We invest in the careers and professional development of BIPOC artists, board and staff, and through Notch’s work our capacity and the capacity of our communities is strengthened to develop individual leadership and advocacy potential;
- All staff, board, and associated artists in management or leadership positions (including but not limited to: directors, producers, production managers, stage managers, choreographers, musical directors, marketing directors and community-engagement/outreach personnel) are required to have regular Anti-Racism / EDIA training. Notch will pay for training as needed.
- We invest, as informed by our community partners, in the economic betterment of each community through our cultural work; we commit to raising funds from individuals and investors seeking economic justice and not the exploitation of peoples oppressed by poverty; we commit to engaging in transparent conversation with our community partners about our budgets; and we strive to allocate at least 60% of our program costs directly to community partners and participants (more on our ethical fundraising practices here):
- Notch prioritizes BIPOC audiences for all programming by fostering reciprocal partnerships with these communities and putting a concentrated focus on investment in long-term and meaningful relationship building;
- Notch has a process for resolving concerns and complaints that may arise from communities’ experience of unfair, inequitable, or oppressive treatment within Notch;
- Every Notch project elects an EDIA Advocate as a liaison to handle on-site EDIA concerns and provide an immediate and present avenue for EDIA reporting;
- All Notch artists and collaborators are made aware of the role of EDIA Board Chair, Alexis Green, and provided with the contact information to report EDIA concerns they feel cannot be addressed with the EDIA Advocate. It will be made clear that should they need further support they have a second avenue of reporting. If they need to discuss or report an EDIA issue, Alexis can be reached at [email protected];
- A process is put into place to develop policies and practices that promote anti-oppression, and to implement, periodic review, and improve such policies and practices where necessary. When updates have been made, the Board will receive and acknowledge all changes.
conclusion
These guidelines are a living document designed to evolve alongside shifting socio-political contexts. The conversation around these issues is happening in real time, and we must respond nimbly and with urgency. This document will be reviewed and updated by Notch’s Board of Directors (and any other parties as the Board deems appropriate) on an annual basis. Review will take place every July, and an updated version will be released no later than December, unless otherwise scheduled by the Board.
The theatre is able to hold up worlds we’ve never seen before and ask “…what if?” There is great power in collective dreaming. Our work can imagine into more just futures and rewrite falsely held historical narratives. Our work is the work of reaching toward one another, across that unknowable space between us, of getting proximate, shoulder to shoulder in the dark theater, all the stories on stage we may never otherwise visit.
“All the lives we could live, all the people we would never know, never will be, they are everywhere. That is what the world is. [...] We stumble on, bring a little noise into the silence, find in others the ongoing of ourselves. It is almost enough.” ―Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin
“A play is a blueprint of an event: a way of creating and rewriting history through the medium of literature. Since history is a recorded or remembered event, theatre, for me, is the perfect place to 'make' history—that is, because so much of African-American history has been unrecorded, dismembered, washed out, one of my tasks as a playwright is to—through literature and the special strange relationship between theatre and real-life—locate the ancestral burial ground, dig for bones, find bones, hear the bones sing, write it down.” ―Suzan-Lori Parks
“The good news is that racist and antiracist are not fixed identities. We can be racist one minute and antiracist the next. What we say about race, what we do about race, in each moment, determines what—not who—we are.” –Ibram X. Kendi, How to be Antiracist
“The United States was founded on the principal that all people are created equal. […] We have yet to achieve our founding principal, but any gains we have made thus far […] in the realm of civil rights has been accomplished through identity politics: women’s suffrage, the American disabilities act, Title 9, federal recognition of same-sex marriage. […] Naming who has access and who doesn’t guides our efforts in challenging injustice.” –Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility
“Long, long ago the simple things come back to us. They rest for a minute by our ribcages then reach in and twist our hearts back a notch in our chest.” ―Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin
FURTHER RESOURCES:
Download: Including Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook
Additional Resource on Disability Accessibility from Haben Girma. The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma is a human rights lawyer advancing disability justice. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. She received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and TIME100 Talks. President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Chancellor Angela Merkel have all honored Haben. Haben believes disability is an opportunity for innovation, and she teaches organizations the importance of choosing inclusion. The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, and TODAY Show featured her memoir, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law.
Additional Resources on Accessibility from the National Endowment for the Arts
The theatre is able to hold up worlds we’ve never seen before and ask “…what if?” There is great power in collective dreaming. Our work can imagine into more just futures and rewrite falsely held historical narratives. Our work is the work of reaching toward one another, across that unknowable space between us, of getting proximate, shoulder to shoulder in the dark theater, all the stories on stage we may never otherwise visit.
“All the lives we could live, all the people we would never know, never will be, they are everywhere. That is what the world is. [...] We stumble on, bring a little noise into the silence, find in others the ongoing of ourselves. It is almost enough.” ―Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin
“A play is a blueprint of an event: a way of creating and rewriting history through the medium of literature. Since history is a recorded or remembered event, theatre, for me, is the perfect place to 'make' history—that is, because so much of African-American history has been unrecorded, dismembered, washed out, one of my tasks as a playwright is to—through literature and the special strange relationship between theatre and real-life—locate the ancestral burial ground, dig for bones, find bones, hear the bones sing, write it down.” ―Suzan-Lori Parks
“The good news is that racist and antiracist are not fixed identities. We can be racist one minute and antiracist the next. What we say about race, what we do about race, in each moment, determines what—not who—we are.” –Ibram X. Kendi, How to be Antiracist
“The United States was founded on the principal that all people are created equal. […] We have yet to achieve our founding principal, but any gains we have made thus far […] in the realm of civil rights has been accomplished through identity politics: women’s suffrage, the American disabilities act, Title 9, federal recognition of same-sex marriage. […] Naming who has access and who doesn’t guides our efforts in challenging injustice.” –Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility
“Long, long ago the simple things come back to us. They rest for a minute by our ribcages then reach in and twist our hearts back a notch in our chest.” ―Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin
FURTHER RESOURCES:
Download: Including Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook
Additional Resource on Disability Accessibility from Haben Girma. The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma is a human rights lawyer advancing disability justice. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. She received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and TIME100 Talks. President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Chancellor Angela Merkel have all honored Haben. Haben believes disability is an opportunity for innovation, and she teaches organizations the importance of choosing inclusion. The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, and TODAY Show featured her memoir, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law.
Additional Resources on Accessibility from the National Endowment for the Arts
