Anti-Racism Statement
Lifeline Theatre is dedicated to offering a safe, inclusive, accessible, and just environment that values equity, nurtures individuality, and celebrates diversity. We are committed to implementing strategies and best-practices that dismantle racism, harassment, and all forms of oppression within our organization and the greater theatre community.
We have included more details on how we are actively working towards change below. Moving towards justice and equality is an ongoing effort, therefore, we will keep this page updated with our specific goals and progress in these areas.
If you have thoughts, questions, or concerns, please reach out to us at accountability@lifelinetheatre.com.
Date last updated: 10/15/21
Our Statement in Action
Steps we’ve taken:
- Beginning in 2015, we made our programming more accessible by adding audio-described performances, creating touch tours, captioning both live and virtual performances, and adding Autism/sensory friendly performances to our KidSeries programming.
- Members of Lifeline’s staff, ensemble, and board gathered for a series of internal and external Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion workshops between 2016-2019.
- Over the last 5 years, we have increased the diversity of our staff by 55%.
- In July 2020, we created our Antiracism Committee. Committee members are welcome from all areas of our organization and have included staff, ensemble, board, teaching artists, and interns. The Antiracism Committee actively moves us forward and holds us accountable in our work.
- In March 2021, members of Lifeline’s staff, ensemble, teaching artists, and board members participated in an organizational self-assessment of where we currently stand on our antiracism journey.
- In May 2021, we updated our grievance process to move beyond a process focused on sexual harassment behaviors to include all oppressive behaviors and harassment on any level. We also made changes to create a more equitable and trust-worthy process, to make it accessible across the organization, and to ensure that everyone has the ability to hold us accountable on our journey.
- We created our FY22 budget in a way that prioritizes better pay equity.
Goals Currently in Development:
- Lifeline was founded as and has existed as a Predominantly White Institution. Therefore, we will work to assess what that history means for our processes, practices, programming, membership, structures, decision making, audience, artistic choices, funding, and so forth, and will make choices to change those things that are causing (or have caused) harm to our staff, artists, community members, and neighbors.
- We will work with the individuals who comprise the Lifeline community to individually and organizationally recognize our complicity in upholding and benefiting from racist systemic structures that have caused harm and inequity.
- We will increase all types of diversity of our ensemble by building relationships with new artists and making Lifeline a more welcoming and equitable work environment.
- We will increase the diversity of stories being told on our stage by building relationships with new artists and making Lifeline a more welcoming and equitable work environment.
- We will create a plan that continues to prioritize better pay equity.
Goals For the Future:
- We will increase the diversity of our board by implementing community outreach.
- We will require bias training and education for our staff, directors and casting director.
- We will continue our I.D.E.A.A. (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, & Antiracism) education as an organization and as individuals.
- We will implement a 5 day work week.
Date last updated: 10/15/21