Published: February 10th, 2021
Updated: August 25th, 2021
October 26th, 2022
Since forming in 2015, our small theatre collective has had the privilege and pleasure of making our original visions come to life, and we are endlessly grateful to those in our community who enjoy our work and support our endeavors.
In 2020 and 2021, Intramural Theater members held bi-monthly meetings to interrogate our status as a group of predominantly white theatre makers in a historically Black city, and the ways in which past actions have perpetuated white supremacist practices. As we step into an era of growth, this statement serves as a framework for the actions we must take and the ethical commitments we must hold ourselves to – both as a collective and as individuals – in order to become an anti-racist organization.
For challenging us to evolve and holding us accountable, we owe a great debt of gratitude to the authors and moderators of two public documents: “BIPOC Demands for White American Theatre” and “Living Document of BIPOC Experiences in New Orleans Area Theatre.” We hear you, we see you, and more than ever, we see ourselves.
As we continue to evolve, we will return to this living document to evaluate our practices.
CORE COLLECTIVE VALUES
These are the values to which we will hold ourselves accountable as we develop our institutional practices.
To establish and maintain a group model of consensus-based collectivism by:
Selecting projects and leadership teams through open conversations that include and uplift all members of the collective.
Understanding that conflict and confrontation are inherent byproducts of an authentically anti-racist organization and fostering spaces in which collaborators can comfortably air out disparate opinions.
Ensuring that each member of the collective has veto power over any project, regardless of their involvement in said project.
To support our community by:
Keeping ticket prices affordable and maintaining a strict “No One Turned Away for Lack of Funds” policy.
Raising funds for local organizations that uplift disenfranchised groups of people.
Supporting and celebrating BIPOC artists in our community.
CORE CREATIVE VALUES
These are the values to which we will hold both ourselves and our collaborators accountable in the context of generative spaces.
To ensure there is no oppressive power dynamic by:
Establishing systems of accountability for harmful actions.
Cultivating a mutual sense of ownership over the space, especially by never subscribing to the belief that “the show must go on” without the explicit approval of every collaborator.
Fostering and practicing transparency as it relates to company systems and policies.
To foster a culture of empowerment by:
Holding check-ins & check-outs at every rehearsal.
Having conversations on difficult topics without placing undue burden on anyone who does not wish to speak.
Maintaining an open forum for feedback of any kind.
To embrace everyone in the space by:
Recognizing and accommodating access needs.
Collectively establishing two conflict mediators for each project: one person within the creative ensemble, another outside of it.
Creating and adhering to guidelines for mediation.
Practicing empathetic observation and communication.
To ensure everyone's mutual respect and co-operation by:
Establishing sessions agreements and rules of the room.
Cultivating a culture of bystander intervention.
Honoring the space we take up through land and labor acknowledgments.
ACTIONS
In order to ensure we fulfill our Core Values, we must implement a clear plan of action for both the near- and long-term future. Here are our commitments:
As of this document’s publication date, Intramural Theater is comprised of seven collaborators, all of whom are white. Over the coming months, we commit to pursuing more equitable representation through active efforts to expand our collective.
We commit to at least two annual meetings in which we will re-visit this Values Statement. In these meetings, we’ll assess the progress we’ve made toward implementing our anti-racist objectives, share new practices or lessons that can support those objectives, and update this document accordingly.
For each project, we commit to implementing all systems of accountability outlined above, including mediation protocol, sessions agreements, and rules of the room.
All collaborators will be required to read and agree to this Values Statement before starting work with Intramural Theater on any project.
In acknowledging that we have caused harm in the past, we commit to actively pursuing restorative justice with any individuals who have been impacted by our actions.
We pledge to continue educating ourselves on anti-racist ideas and practices, both collectively and individually.
This document is intended to highlight and disrupt any and all of our practices and assumptions that have marginalized the lived experiences of others. It is only by acknowledging our mistakes that we can aspire to become an organization that actively works in opposition to racism and anti-blackness. We stand in solidarity with the BIPOC members of our community and fully commit to becoming an equitable and inclusive organization.