Annual Training
BEYOND DIVERSITY: PRACTICING EQUITY AND INCLUSION
Manuel Pastor has spoken eloquently on the subject of the “coming America” – a world where demographic shifts and rapidly evolving definitions of identity are unprecedented. Throughout the contemporary world theatre, issues of representation, cultural equity, and artistic freedom are being revealed with greater and greater complexity. What are key literacies and practices for artists and managers in the changing landscape? How might the unique positions of art practitioners be used as points of leverage for social change, in artistic collaborations, cultural institutions, and in communities large and small? This highly interactive seminar provides participants with a functional framework to explore issues of difference, identity, equity, and structural barriers that serve to limit access, and encourage them to assess their past, present, and future. As members of a changing arts community, what is their role? What are the issues? What is their responsibility for social change? And where do they have agency?
FACILITATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
Paulo Freire asserts that if the “structure does not permit dialogue, the structure must change.” This then is the role of the facilitator, to create the conditions for dialogue where they may not already exist. Building on the intensive workshop Beyond Diversity: Practicing Equity and Inclusion, this seminar moves beyond analysis-building to the application of facilitation skills that advance equity and inclusion. A new brand of cultural leader, artist, and manager is being called upon in the arts. Having the ability to facilitate conversations across difference in a climate of change is no longer an option; it is a requisite skill that is in demand. Participants will navigate the politics of language, social location, and identity; explore how to manage complex power dynamics, and create environments conducive for conversations around issues of difference.
INTERRUPTING MICROAGGRESSIONS
Building on previous conversations of identity, social location, and underlying assumptions of difference, Interrupting Microaggressions provides practical approaches to addressing subtle (and not so subtle) daily injuries. These damaging behaviors have significant side effects and exact an emotional toll for the receivers. Psychologists warn, if left unchecked, microaggressions serve to erode personal and group trust, creating fractures within otherwise effective teams. Recognizing one’s role in perpetuating these unwanted and often unconscious aggressions is key to creating and sustaining creative environments. Interrupting Microaggressions will explore the biases that inform the act, ways to name the behavior, and ultimately, provide clear strategies for disrupting and disengaging problematic dynamics.
People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond
Yale Repertory Theatre and Yale School of Drama are proud to offer full-fee support for any member of the staff, faculty, student body and advisory board to attend The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond’s signature Undoing Racism® workshop.
ANTI-RACIST THEATRE: A FOUNDATIONAL COURSE
Yale Repertory Theatre and Yale School of Drama are proud to offer full-fee support for any member of the staff, faculty, and advisory board to attend Nicole Brewer’s Anti-Racist Theatre: A Foundational Course. In this two-part, six-hour course Nicole offers participants tools to craft their own unique anti-racist theatre ethos and delve into the three core principles of anti-racist theatre: harm reduction, harm prevention and relationship repair.
Photo Credits
The artwork on this page, inspired by Daniel Quasar’s “Progress Pride Flag,” was designed by Marguerite Elliott.