Taproot all-staff training. LGBTQ+ Core Competency Training (Chapter 2) led by Facilitator Charlie Best. A review of some of the basic terminology and concepts that we learned about last year, and a guided discussion about the current state of LGBTQ+ rights and legislation right now.
Taproot all-staff training. Everyday Ableism and Allyship Trainingwith Elizabeth Ralston. Elizabeth Ralston Consulting: Access Benefits Everyone.
2022
Taproot all-staff training. LGBTQ+ Core Competency Training. Created by the Rainbow Center in Tacoma, WA, this training is designed to provide the foundational terminology, information, and tools needed to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. (Facilitator: Charlie Best)
(divorcing) White Supremacy Culture. All Taproot staff are reading and discussing this series of readings created by Dr. Tema Okun.
2021
Taproot all-staff training. Operationalizing Racial Equity and Understanding Institutional Racism with Tony Nabors
Talking Back series presented by artEquity. Taproot staff and other artists in the Taproot community gathered once a month to discuss the video episodes in this series.
Taproot leadership training. #StopAsianHate: Leading Anti-Racist Efforts in Organizations with Lily Zheng
Taproot leadership training. Decolonizing Theatre Basics with Groundwater Arts
2020
Taproot leadership training. Finding the Keys: Antiracist Approaches for Radical Recruitment in the Arts by Sharifa Johka
Taproot leadership training. “Anti-Racist Theatre: A Foundational Course” by Nicole Brewer –sponsored by Seattle Theatre Leaders Group
2017
Taproot all-staff training. The Foundations of a Social Justice Framework with Dr. Caprice Hollins, Co-founder of Cultural Connections
Equity and Inclusion in Casting with Kathy Hsieh with SIS Productions –sponsored by Taproot Theatre and open to Seattle theatre artists
2014
Taproot leadership training. Centering People of Color in the Racial Equity Movement with Carmen Morgan (Founder and Executive director of artEquity)–sponsored by Theatre Puget Sound
2011
Rehearsal Trainings. The John Perkins Center for Reconciliation, Leadership Training, and Community Development at Seattle Pacific University–customized trainings with Caenisha Warren and W. Tali Hairston
HOW WE APPLY THIS TO THE WORK OF TAPROOT THEATRE COMPANY
Specific actions and changes in practice and policy have grown out of what we are learning about ways to create a multi-cultural, anti-racist organization. Here are a few specific examples:
- At the beginning of 2019, Taproot’s leadership team included no one who identified as BIPOC. Through intentional work to diversify this team, it is currently made-up of more than 30% BIPOC. Leadership team diversity makes Taproot stronger by creating a broader range of skills, ideas, and perspectives.
- We See You White American Theatre (WYSWAT) put forth a definition for white supremacy culture. As we learn to interrupt this culture, we have implemented changes within our rehearsal structure. These changes include meeting accessibility needs, establishing a clear set of rehearsal expectations, and protocols for recourse if those expectations are not met.
- A land acknowledgment now resides on our website and will be incorporated into all live events and performances. This is a first step to show respect and honor to the Indigenous Peoples of the land on which Taproot Theatre resides.
- We are in the process of reviewing and updating the employee handbook to include policies around equity and inclusion, pay equity, and paid time off, in order to ensure our intentional work towards anti-racism is built into the bones of our company structure. This focus on policies is important to us because it ensures that our improvements to company culture will be ongoing and not simply based on current good intentions or the values of current staff members.
- When updating Taproot’s mission statement, all staff and Board of Directors were invited into the process of creating and evaluating the statement. This is a step toward inclusivity, ensuring that a variety of diverse voices are heard, understood, and considered.
Working with the greater Seattle theatre community:
One of the first things we learned about the process of becoming an anti-racist organization is that we can’t do it alone. We are actively seeking partnership within the Seattle Theatre community to address shared inequities and create lasting, systemic change in the field of theatre.
GOALS FOR THE FUTURE
Taproot has much more work to do as we continue to acknowledge, understand, and change our role in the perpetuation of systemic racism. Here are some of the areas within our own organization that we are currently reviewing:
- Evaluating hiring practices and policies with the goal of including more BIPOC staff and artists, in performance and production roles, across all administrative departments and at leadership levels, including the Board of Directors.
- Evaluate policies and internal best practices to ensure they are in support of a more diverse workforce.
- Evaluating partners, memberships, and financial practices to ensure that they align with Taproot’s goals around anti-racism.
- Invest in BIPOC theatres and leaders, present and future, in Seattle.
Interested in learning alongside Taproot Theatre?
Check out the resource page and find podcasts we’ve been listening to, videos we’ve been watching, and books we’ve been reading. We’ve included a downloadable list of terms defined throughout this article. We also encourage you to learn more about and support the amazing educators and organizations that we’ve link to on this webpage.
QUESTIONS? You can email us at info@taproottheatre.org
Resource List