WE’RE HIRING: Join the Darlo fam
Photo by Robert Catto
Our Cultural Representation Policy Update Statement (as of June 2020)
We work and live on land that was never ceded, belonging to the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. This always was and always will be Aboriginal Land.
This moment and the Black Lives Matter movement has called us all to examine our contribution to systemic racism and the ways in which the stories we tell build our national consciousness. Darlo needs to be better and recognise the ways our storytelling and company processes have upheld systemic racism.
Acknowledging our responsibility is the necessary first step on the road to a more inclusive and representational practice in our company. We thank every single person who has called for us as a company and as a sector to be better. It is labour. We see it, and we are listening. Here, we are pledging ourselves to an actionable commitment. To hold ourselves accountable. To take the first step in structural reform.
We commit to having, at minimum, 50% of all artists in our employ, every year, belonging to an Indigenous, Black or Culturally and Linguistically Diverse community and to having diversity of representation across our season and programming. This will include employment of playwrights, actors, directors and designers. This will be the case from the 1st of January 2022. We know we need time to do this respectfully and effectively, to have the time to consult appropriately and adopt culturally sensitive practices. We are also accounting for our artists from our postponed 2020 program, affected by COVID. We will publicly report on this commitment, on a yearly basis.
We know that this commitment must go beyond programming for sincere change to happen. We have to address the roots and structures of our company,which we will do through consulting, listening, unlearning and constantly trying to progress. This is the beginning. We commit to actively looking for and taking every opportunity to improve cultural representation throughout our organisation, including across our internal staff and at board level. We commit to continual anti-racist and cultural competency training across our organisation, to further our education and improve our practices of inclusivity and the safety of our spaces. We are making this pledge, knowing that it is not perfect, and there is huge work to be done across our company, sector and society, not just nationally but globally. This is just our first step. It is a necessary step, and one we commit to with all heart and strength.
Amylia Harris, Glenn Terry and DTC Board