Published June 26, 2020
As the American Theatre is called to tackle institutional racism, Williamstown Theatre Festival has listened to the wisdom of anti-racism resources and to the insight of BIPOC artists, administrators and alumni. WTF continues to analyze its sixty-five-year history, its past and current practices and its culture. We take full responsibility for our failure to live up to a crucial piece of our organization’s mission: engaging and serving a diverse community. We must, and will, acknowledge, address and dismantle the systems of white supremacy and anti-Blackness that exist in our organization. WTF commits to the following actions, and to accountability around each one.
WTF recommits to being a welcoming, diverse and inclusive workplace.
WTF will grow its unconscious bias and anti-racist training for existing, new and seasonal staff and Trustees.
WTF will create infrastructure and resources to support BIPOC artists, administrators, technicians and artisans.
WTF will invest in human resources by creating a seasonal Conflict Resolution Manager position to keep the Festival accountable during the summer.
WTF commits to addressing the structural components of the company that have stalled meaningful progress toward equity and diversity at the Festival.
WTF will reimagine and rebuild the apprentice and internship programs to be fair and equitable.
WTF will radically reinvent the methods by which it recruits and hires employees.
WTF will retain outside expertise to accelerate existing efforts to diversify the Board of Trustees.
WTF’s artistic director commits to leadership transition in or by September of 2024.
WTF’s artistic director recommits to identifying and hiring BIPOC administrators into influential, key positions on the full time, year-round staff who can lead the Festival into its next chapter.
WTF commits to establishing and funding a Fellowship for an emerging, BIPOC leader at the Festival.
WTF commits to building a diverse audience and to serving diverse communities.
WTF will allocate resources to audience engagement and to the development of BIPOC audiences in the Berkshire region.
WTF will expand COMMUNITY WORKS efforts to build and grow meaningful partnerships with Berkshire-based organizations that serve BIPOC constituencies.
These commitments are steps in an ongoing process. As the Board of Trustees and the staff work to realize and expand upon these commitments, more will come. As an essential part of our process, we will keep our communities informed of our continuing anti-racism work. We are exhilarated to manifest a future for this theatre company that embraces in the deepest and fullest ways, on stage and off, true equity, diversity and inclusiveness. As a result, we will make better art and we will better serve our communities.