artistic mission
To work with me is to participate in my mission, so I thought there would be no better place to outline my values, ethics, and goals for my work.
All art is inherently political. I feel it is my duty to never lean away from that fact in my work. When I create theatre, I try to hold as many nuances and contradictions inherent to humanity as I possible. My art will always strive to be inclusive, accessible, and compassionate.
ethics & values
As artists, we wield the power to dismantle systemic barriers and challenge harmful beliefs through our storytelling. Here are some resources I've used to navigate artistic spaces in ways that promote equity, accessibility, and justice.
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Principles for Building Anti-Racist Theatre Systems as adapted from the original text by DEAR WHITE AMERICAN THEATRE
As BIPOC theatre workers, our love of our craft has often meant surviving an industry-wide culture of fear poisoned by racism and it's intersecting oppressions. We insist on a reckoning; developing a new social contract for our work environments that cares for our artistry and lives.
Equitable Presence
As the global majority, we demand a bare minimum of 50% BIPOC representation in programming and personnel both on and off stage. And-- we are not only our bodies. We insist on intentional, meaningful, and exploratory long-term engagements with us, as cultural workers and audiences.
Code of Conduct
We demand structures for our protection in white spaces and with white artistic collaborators. "Safety first" is the theatrical motto. Anti-racism is what makes us safe. Anti-racism must become a mandatory, well-budgeted, and explicit core value to dismantle white supremacy in all theatrical institutions.
Transformative Practices
We demand a transformation of our theatrical ecosystem. We demand your commitment to radical change now, and we will hold you to it.
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The ManiFATso as adapted from the original text created by Theatre Artists Charlotte Seaver & Riley Ellis
The Beliefs of Your Plus-Sized Peers & Collaborators
Fat is not a bad word. Every body belongs on stage.
Thinness is not the inherent standard. The idea of a "neutral body" (one that is thin, conventionally attractive and often white) must be erased. A role being written without reference to body size is not automatically for thin bodies only.
Check your biases. We will not be typecast as the funny one or the mother or the villain or the lewdly sexualized for laughs. Before you decide to cast a bigger body in one of these roles, ask yourself if their audition lends to that character, or if you are letting your perception of their body influence your opinion of them.
Romance is for everyone. Denying fat bodies the opportunity to play romantic leads is to say we do not deserve to be loved.
We are not brave for being sexual.
We are not brave for being loud.
We are not brave for being onstage.
We will take up space.
We will not apologize for taking up space.
We will not simply be grateful for the opportunities we are given. We do not have to take opportunities that don't serve our artistry.
We will not work harder than thin people to receive the same treatment. We deserve equal treatment already.
Our bodies are a part of who we are, but they do not define our worth.
It is not our responsibility to guide you through unlearning your biases. Do the work.
We will stand with and in support of every other marginalized group.
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Access as Art as adapted from the original text by THE CURIOSITY PARADOX
We considers access to mean the negotiation between individuals, institutions, and communities that allows Disabled people to be present.
Disabled people in the United States—particularly Disabled people with intersecting Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, POC, immigrant, and refugee identities—are deprived of access to power, through such forces as prejudice, poverty, and incarceration.
For this reason, we use creativity to slow down and question everyday processes as a way of centering and negotiating the access needs of marginalized people.
Tools of Negotiation:
Access Check-Ins
make space to check in and then negotiate how our time together can be as supportive as possible. This might mean slowing down, adding in breaks, considering physical needs like water, or simply acknowledging multiple perspectives.
Centering Collective Care
As a rule, dominant culture defaults to efficiency, which leads to interactions which are draining. In rebuttal, we aim to help our audiences and collaborators negotiate ways to create more care amongst each other. The end goal is an interaction that feels more regenerative.
Slow Down Decision Making
Even the smallest decision can disproportionately benefit dominant systems. We advocate for an equity lens to help artists parse out the potential impacts of their choices.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE COMPLETE TEXT
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE CURIOSITY PARADOX'S GLOSSARY OF DISABILITY JUSTICE TERMS