OCTOBER UPDATE from Rebecca KellyG
Hello EST,
I hope you are enjoying the fall weather, and settling into this season of transformation. In this October update, you will find information on:
1. Surveys
2. Focus Groups
3. Ideas of the Month
1. Surveys
Everyone should have received Part 1 of the Racial Equity & Justice Survey for Ensemble Studio Theatre. So far, we’ve received responses from 200 members of the community! If you’ve already completed the survey, thank you so much for contributing your perspectives and experiences. If you haven’t had a chance to complete it yet, you still have time! The survey will be open until Tuesday, October 20th. Your views are essential to this process being holistic and equitable, so we hope to hear from you. On average, people are completing the survey in 20 minutes.
Here are responses to a few common troubleshooting issues and questions:
I DIDN’T GET THE SURVEY.
If you don’t see the survey in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If you don’t find it there either, please email my collaborator, Yejin Lee at yejin@rebeccakellyg.com. She can help you with this and other technical issues related to the survey.
I CAN’T SEE ALL OF THE ANSWERS.
Please answer the survey in full screen mode in order to easily see all of the available answers to each prompt; otherwise, you will need to scroll.
CAN I FORWARD MY LINK TO SOMEONE WHO DIDN’T GET THEIR SURVEY?
No, each email has a custom single use link, so please do not forward your email to others to complete the survey. If they use your link, it may override your response. If someone in the EST community did not receive the survey, please ask them to check their spam folder and email Yejin at yejin@rebeccakellyg.com, if they don’t find it there.
ARE SURVEYS THE ONLY WAY TO GIVE FEEDBACK?
No, there are other ways to connect! At the end of the survey, there is a prompt to sign up for Focus Groups. Also, beginning in November, we will have a google form in future newsletters. This google form will be a place for you to offer any additional feedback you may have forgotten to mention or new ideas/experiences since our last connection.
Part 2 of the survey will be distributed on October 22. Thank you again for your participation!
2. Focus Groups
In addition to the link for Focus Groups that appears at the end of your completed survey, we will also be sending out emails to determine interest and availability for various Focus Groups to discuss experiences at EST. Be on the lookout in your inbox to sign up!
3. Ideas of the Month
Each monthly newsletter offers resources or concepts to deepen understanding of our work together. This month, I’m sharing a 4 min 38 sec video from Race Forward explaining four facets of racism to support your review of The Visibility Report and We See You W.A.T. demands.
Becoming Systemically Aware
This video from Race Forward unpacks the 4 levels of racism and how focusing on internalized and interpersonal racism often prevents making impactful and lasting change for racial justice.
After watching this video:
For external reflection,
Consider the The Visibility Report: Racial Representation on New York City Stages created by The Asian American Performers Action Coalition. The report covers employment statistics by race for actors, playwrights, composers, librettists and directors for the 2017-18 season for all of Broadway and the 18 largest non-profit theatre companies in New York City. It is the only publicly available report of its kind.
What elements of being systematically aware are brought to light in this report? Which level is being addressed in various sections?
Consider the demands issued by the BIPOC theatermaker collective in their document We See You White American Theater, and consider which level each of their demands is addressing and how.
In reaction to civil unrest in our country, Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) theatremakers formed a collective of multi-generational, multi-disciplinary, early career, emerging and established artists, theater managers, executives, students, administrators, dramaturges and producers, to address the scope and pervasiveness of anti-Blackness and racism in the American theater.
For internal reflection,
Consider how what is offered in the video does or does not align with your prior understanding of racism. How might your understanding and therefore actions change by becoming systemically aware? When are times that you have acted in a way that was not systemically aware? How would you change those earlier responses now? How has this manifested in your work in theater? What changes can you make to prevent this in the future?
Until next month,
Rebecca KellyG