Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives

Promethean Theatre Ensemble strives to work collaboratively with artists and to include stories from different cultures and communities in Chicago.  We endeavor to share experiences and explore our common humanity.

As a company, we have failed to address the inequality of the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC*) communities and recognize that our privilege has contributed to the silence of their voices, erasure of their cultures/history, and dismissal of their basic human rights.  As we continue to see the injustices in our communities and more actively listen to our fellow artists and citizens, we are working to educate ourselves and to become an anti-racist organization.  We stand with the BIPOC community as we work to break down systemic racism.  We know that this commitment needs to be supported by action to truly break the cycle of racism and inequality in the theatre community.  Below is how Promethean has begun this work, and how we plan to continue our commitment.  This list is not exhaustive, and we plan to update this information as we change and grow.  We hope that the community will hold us accountable as we work to create a truly inclusive space for theatre artists and our audiences.


ACTION ITEMS

  • We have formed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee to focus on anti-racism and inclusivity.

  • We are committed to providing a safe space for our collaborating artists, and to this end have established a Bill of Rights, Code of Conduct, and a Conflict Resolution Path.

  • We will continue our efforts in casting and hiring to emphasize the inclusion of the BIPOC community.  This includes playwrights, directors, designers, and other collaborators as well as actors.

  • We plan to be open about our operating budget with all collaborating artists as we work towards increasing stipends.  We know that finances can be a barrier to accessibility, and this is a continued long-term goal.

  • We are committed to helping raise funds for social justice and community advocacy organizations.  As we move forward, we look to strengthen BIPOC partnerships and continue to raise awareness.

  • We are committed to learning more and reading deeper into BIPOC canons and exploring new works by Chicago BIPOC artists.

 

FUTURE COMMITMENTS

  • To honor the diversity within the Chicago theatre community, one of our goals is to diversify the company with more BIPOC ensemble members as we become more inclusive in our practices.

  • We will find ways to provide opportunities for young BIPOC artists and give them the chance to share their voice, talent, and story with our community and to support their developing artistry.

  • We plan to launch a reading series (to include staged readings and workshops) that serves the needs of BIPOC writers

*We understand the term BIPOC may not fully address or represent all discriminated groups. Our goal is to be inclusive and to use the current terminology that we have seen in underrepresented groups that we have researched.