EQUITY ACTION UPDATES

In July 2021, our theater community demanded that we hold up a mirror to ourselves, exposing the ways the White American Theater has built and sustained itself on racist systems. We are committing to change and accountability in response to the national #WeSeeYouWAT movement and the local Living Document and BIPOC Equity Action Plan. In the words of the #WeSeeYouWAT demands, “Racism and white supremacy are cultural formations constructed to rationalize unjust behavior for economic gain, and eradicating them requires radical change on both cultural and economic fronts.” 

In the spirit of transparency, we are now sharing the following updates on our equity goals and progress to date. These items were last updated 2/04/22. We will continue to update this page regularly.

  • The Z Staff brought in a facilitator on 7/22/20 to lead a discussion with our team about the #WeSeeYouWAT statement and demands. The following feelings were named amongst our group: fear, apprehension, blame, sorrow, anxiety, remorse, hope. 

  • We have added the Living Doc/WeSeeYouWAT as a standing item to our weekly staff meeting as an ongoing discussion. This is part of a broader effort to increase transparency internally and normalize conversations around race.

  • Members of the Z Space Board met on 8/4/20 to create a vision for the newly-formed EDI Action Group to help lead this work on the Board and support the Z Staff to create impactful change. They named that “While there is general interest in EDI and particularly antiracist work throughout the board, for the sake of action and accountability, it will be useful to create a smaller body to drive and support this work. The group is continuing to meet bi-weekly and is open to all Staff and Board.

  • We are making this Equity work more transparent through this webpage and we have also posted our Strategic Vision and Code of Conduct so our community can see how this work will be interconnected to all of our goals. 

  • The Artistic Directors and Word for Word Company (formerly called the Charter Group) are in ongoing discussion about Word for Word, its policies and decision-making strategies, artistic and otherwise, with the purpose of creating a more equitable, inclusive and diverse organization. To further this, in summer of 2020, they met with Bay Area BIPOC theatre associates for conversation about changes within the structure. Since August 2020, they have expanded the Core Company.

  • Word for Word hosted mediated debrief sessions with theater artists involved in the daily production of Retablos. Two sessions were held in January 2021 with the cast and crew. Another session with production and design teams was held in March 2021.

  • Z Space and Word for Word currently operate on a BAT Tier 2 AEA contract for actors and hire all artists as employees. We are continuing this practice of working with unions and paying artists equitably for all virtual programming.

  • We contracted artEquity to provide equity, diversity, and inclusion training to the entire Z Space Staff, Board, and the Word for Word Company in December 2020 and March 2021. 

  • We surveyed our Staff, Board, and on-call Staff to understand our current demographics.

  • Z Space’s annual fiscal report (Audit) is publicly available on Guidestar.

  • Members of the Staff and Board created a new grievance report and Feedback Form to reduce harm and respond to incidents promptly. Starting in February 2021, we now distribute the Feedback Form to everyone who works for Z Space, Word for Word, or Youth Arts. In December 2021 we created and implemented a new List of Resources for all temporary artists employees, which makes information about the Feedback Form and BIPOC affinity space more accessible to everyone as soon as they are hired.

  • Members of the Board created and voted to approve a new Board job description in November 2020. The new framework removed the mandated donation and is intended to increase inclusion and representation and value a means of support beyond capitalism.

  • Members of the Board have been actively connecting with Board members of other organizations to build connections and generate new ideas for Board-led EDI work.

  • Word for Word's educational program, Youth Arts has contracted Jeri Brunoe Training and Consulting to lead a 1-day workshop called "Creating Alignment with Indigenous Youth." This workshop will prepare our teaching artists to return for a 4th year of summer camp with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR). Teaching artists leading the camp will meet weekly in a BIPOC affinity group or white learning space in order to better support the students and each other.

  • Based on the recommendation of artEquity, board member Laura Fallon has been holding a monthly white learning space to discuss White Fragility.

  • Board member Gary Stanford Jr. gave a presentation “Diversity in Theater Matters,” an analysis of how society has perpetuated racism and appropriated Black art over the past 50 years.

  • We will continue to actively solicit feedback, listen, and make changes. We invite your thoughts and participation in this process. You can email Shafer Mazow, Executive Director at smazow@zspace.org and we will find other pathways to incorporate community input into our action plans.

In solidarity and commitment to action,

Z Space Staff and Board