SoTD Diversity & Inclusion Update

Published Mar 17, 2021 by
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In an effort to promote diversity and inclusion in the School of Theatre and Dance, a task force of faculty and students was formed in the summer of 2020 to actively seek equitable representation in our academic unit and creates a more holistic and fully representative narrative in our degree programs, our productions and community engagement. The committee created an action plan that can be found here. 

During the course of the academic year since, SoTD has implemented several actions designed to promote an anti-racist theatre and dance community. In recognition of these efforts, SoTD was awarded the departmental Chancellor’s Horizon Award for Diversity and Inclusion.

Some of these efforts include:

  •  Two SoTD faculty members (Bryan Conger and Jen-Scott Mobley) serve as representatives to the College of Fine Arts and Communication ABIDE (access | belonging | inclusion | diversity | equity) committee to serve ECU’s larger efforts.
  • Anti-racist training for faculty and students, including
    • Nicole Brewer’s anti-racist training (faculty and staff)
    • More Than Words training on racist language in performance (faculty, staff, and students).
    • Cultural Connections 2-part training on microaggressions sponsored by CFAC through ABIDE funding.
  • Diversifying practitioner perspectives in our curriculum through guest artists and texts from and about global majority artists.
    • Global Theatre course (first taught in 2018)
    • World Dance course, featuring guest artists teaching history and techniques of dance styles from around the world. These programs were sponsored by the CFAC ABIDE grant.
      • Gaga technique from Tel Aviv, Israel
      • Industry and Commercial Dance
      • Brazilian Dance Traditions: Carnival (presentation)
      • Traditional performing arts of Japan (presentation)
      • Hip Hop
      • East African traditional and contemporary dance (a six-part series)
      • Kazakh folk dance
      • Native American music and dance 
      • Traditional and contemporary Mexican Folklorico
      • Spanish Flamenco dance
      • West African Contemporary dance
      • Classical Indian dance
    • A virtual exchange with the Dance Center of Kenya in the Advanced Ballet course
    • Dance History course content extended to include the history of West African, Classical Indian, and Indian Folk dance styles
    • Acting courses used several essays from Black Acting Methods: Critical Approaches (Dr. Sharrell D. Luckett and Dr. Tia M. Shaffer), including:
      • SoulWork (Cristal Chanelle Truscott)
      • The Hendricks Method (Dr. Sharrell D. Luckett and Dr. Tia M. Shaffer
      • Seeing Shakespeare through brown eyes (Justin Emeka)
      • Remembering, rewriting, and re-imagining: Afrocentric approaches to directing new work for the theatre (Clinnesha D. Sibley)
    • Acting and directing courses studied articles from HowlRound Theatre Commons. HowlRound is a free and open platform for theatremakers worldwide that amplifies progressive, disruptive ideas about the art form and facilitates connection between diverse practitioners.
      • Color Conscious Casting: Three Questions to Ask by Lavina Jadhwani
      • Color Conscious Directing: Three More Questions to Ask by Lavina Jadhwani
  • SoTD has made an effort to increase access to global majority artists by hosting master classes and inviting guests to participate in prodcutions.
    • Andrea Guajardo from Ballet Napantla was in residency in the spring of 2020 and choreographed a piece for the Spring Dance Concert. When COVID cancelled the concert, she returned virtually in spring of 2021 to re-stage the piece.
    • Jerrilyn Lanier-Duckworth, a creative at Bridging the Gap: A look into African American Hair and Makeup for Theatre, will lead 2 master classes in Spring of 2021.
    • Kimille Howard will lead an audition workshop in the Spring of 2021 and will return to direct the 2021-2022 mainstage opener.
  • Theatre for Youth and Theatre Ed received funding from the ABIDE grant to record readings and lesson plans and activities for the multiple Children’s books about Diversity:
    • The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad
    • Listening With my Heart: A Story of Kindness and Self-Compassion by Graso Garcia
    • Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
    • No Difference Between us by Janen Sanders and Amanda Gulliver
    • Rainbow: A First Book of Pride by Michael Genhart
    • Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer
    • Donovan’s Big Day by Lesla Newman
    • My Maddy by Gale E. Pitman
    • Sheila Brings the Family by Miam B. Schiffer
    • What Riley Wore by Eleana Arnold and Linda Davick
    • Last semester we also recorded books about diversity and sent them out to the schools.
      • Ruby Bridges
      • How to Teach Your Dragon About Diversity
      • and several others.
  • The Theatre for Youth program linked with programs at The University of Shimane, Japan and Carpathian University, Krosno, Poland for intercultural exchanges.

 

These continued conversations help us to develop empathy, understanding and build skills to create an Anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice at our university. This list is not complete – it is only a glance/highlights of some of our efforts to advance equity, access, and inclusivity in within our unit.

Diversity & Inclusion Awards

To see closed captions on this video, view it on youtube.