Constellation’s core artistic value, “Treat all participants with dignity, kindness and respect,” lives at the center of our company culture. We strive to practice a commitment to radical collaboration and encourage every person in our company of artists, audience, board of directors, and staff to express their ideas and concerns, knowing that they will be heard and recognized. We believe that the communal experience of live theatre promotes compassion, understanding, healing and connection – and that we need it now more than ever.  

 

Constellation pledges to work toward the following Inclusion Diversity Equity Access (IDEA) goals:   

  

Environment: Cultivate a diverse, inclusive, and equitable company culture.   

  

Process: Provide a safe, kind, and respectful process within which to create exceptional art.    

  

Programming: Showcase diverse stories that reflect the vast range of human experience.   

  

Training: Establish required training sessions for board, staff, artists on topics and practices including bystander intervention, de-escalation, implicit bias, anti-oppression, and conflict resolution.    

  

Policies: Create anti-racist and anti-oppressive policies and statements, including a non-retaliation assurance. Implement procedures for enforcing them.    

  

Community: Serve the entire community with our art and strive to maximize access.   

  

Financial: Implement a transparent hiring and compensation process.   

 

As a predominantly white institution (PWI), Constellation is undergoing rigorous self-assessment to identify anti-racist and anti-oppression best practices. We are currently engaged in the following efforts: 

 

Both/And  

We’ve hired consulting firm Both/And to develop a comprehensive, actionable plan to create an inclusive, equitable and harm-free environment for our artists, staff and board. Both/And will provide training sessions to educate each group about bystander intervention, de-escalation, implicit bias, and conflict resolution. Through this plan we will also adopt a non-retaliation policy, formalized rehearsal room protocols, and procedures to guide planning, decision-making, recruitment, hiring, compensation and evaluation.    

  

Abolishing Racism & Oppression in the Workplace (AROW) 

Our leadership has joined the Abolishing Racism & Oppression in the Workplace (AROW) Community of Practice initiative in partnership with theatreWashington and 37 other local theatre companies. This program will provide insight and support, as well as promote industry-wide change and greater accountability.  

  

We recognize that these engagements are only the beginning of our journey toward becoming a fully inclusive, anti-racist multicultural organization. We condemn white supremacy in all its forms, and we pledge to continually address racism and oppression within our own institution and our community.