Diversity and Inclusion
- Convenor:
- Claire Cochrane
- Attendees:
- Jenny Stephens, Jo Carr, Raidene Carter, Amanda Roberts, Samina Zahir, James Pogson, Andrew Cowie, Oluwatoyin Odungi, Jenny Stokes, Mark Webster
- Description:
There are people missing in the room—left out of the ecology categorized by race, disability. Mention of ‘Speakeasy’ event at the Drum, great sense of loneliness and exclusion from those there. Channels of communication are missing in the region. Are there barriers created by class, education etc.? Is our view of theatre not reflecting enough nationally, internationally, different cultural forms? How were inivitations to this event made? Was there something exclusionary about the process and means of communication?
Questions: Are there people who were excluded today. How can I change things I’m not part of ? What’s the point? Do All companies have to be inclusive? Do we all need to be responsible, not just the usual suspects? There’s a lack of people to discover and enquire about ‘undiscovered’ artists’ not just the usual suspects. Diversity seems to be defined by community; what words can be use if ‘diversity’ isn’t working?
Mention made of the BBC cutting ‘Silver Street’ : nothing like it elsewhere in the country.
Question of categorization raised. Are we stuck in categories of class, race, gender? Shouldn’t we be asking what stories we want to tell and hear?
We don’t want tick box culture. Problem of how power structures operate within the region in general there are major structural issues which need to be addressed. Too much emphasis on Birmingham Rep—there are other venues. Also work and artists shouldn’t be pigeon holed. Producers and brokers needed.
An open door and more access needs to be signaled. Ways of developing a culture of engagement and ways of offering mutual support. Problem of quality criteria for funding purposes especially. ‘A lot of shit’ has been funded in the interests of diversity. Ways of creative and positive critique needs to be found and accepted.
Problem that theatre is seen to be owned by a certain sector—so there has to be a way of finding other points of entry; through popular culture or is there increasingly a common culture. Or do we also have to be realistic about a specific niche market? Find performance people want to see.