A message from Artistic Executive Director Emily Dix regarding Bygone Theatre’s commitment to diversity and accessibility;
When I started Bygone Theatre back in 2012 my main goal was to produce engaging, character-driven theatre from the early 20th century – there were stories I wanted to see onstage that were only available at big companies, like Soulpepper, Stratford or Shaw, and I wanted something similar but on a smaller, more accessible scale. I set about making theatre with whomever I could find, and focused more on the work than those involved. Now, as Bygone Theatre enters our 9th season, it is clear we need to expand our focus and work harder to prioritize our commitments to diversity and accessibility; simply saying “all are welcome” and using wheelchair accessible spaces is not enough. We need to make concrete, measurable changes in order to better serve our community and our work.
As a company that produces “vintage theatre”, we are in a unique position when it comes to diversity. We have the opportunity to re-examine stories through a more authentic lens, looking at them not from the perspective of turn-of-the-century, primarily white audience members, but through one of historical insight, that acknowledges that the world has always contained diverse communities with fascinating stories, even if they weren’t being published or produced.
Plays from the 1920s-60s often feature racist stereotypes, that or they completely white-wash the story and show no diversity at all. When re-staging these stories it can be easy to fall into the trap of eliminating the overt racism while still maintaining the subvert – colourblind casting, 2-dimensional characters, or tokenism. Does that mean these stories are no longer relevant, or not worth retelling? No. But they do need to be redone. And that needs to be done with care.
While diversity and accessibility have always been important to us, we have admittedly existed in a bit of a bubble. Attempts to engage communities outside of my own have rarely been met with much success, and to be honest, the difficulty in doing this lead to me not making it a top priority. I do the majority of the work for Bygone on my own, and I did not know how to engage people past simply putting the message out there, and I never had time to really learn how.
Then COVID-19 happened.
After the initial upset of coming to terms with the uncertain year ahead of us, we at Bygone came to the realization that this “break” in the regular programming is exactly what we need. We are taking this time to learn and improve, not just as artists, but as people, and a part of the Toronto theatre community. We are listening to the voices speaking out against discrimination in the arts (the #InTheDressingRoom thread on Twitter was eye-opening and deeply upsetting). We are listening to the voices telling us how to be better allies. And we are taking time to make important changes and commitments, and to share that with you now as a commitment to change and accountability. This is not a final comment, it is a series of first steps. As we continue to learn and grow we will readdress these commitments, make more, and do more. I will make these a priority, and am working on learning how to do more. The following statements come from myself, and the Bygone Theatre Board of Directors:
Bygone Theatre believes Black Lives Matter.
Bygone Theatre sees the racism faced by BIPOC communities, believes their stories and stands with them in solidarity.
Bygone Theatre sees the homophobia and prejudice members of the LGBTQ2+ community faces, believes their stories and stands with them in solidarity.
Bygone Theatre sees the women who face sexism and discrimination, the members of the #MeToo movement, believes their stories and stands with them in solidarity.
Bygone Theatre sees the challenges and discrimination faced by Mad/Disabled communities, believes their stories and stands with them in solidarity.
We are making a commitment to support all these communities, prioritize their members and stories in our work, and to continue to work to become better allies. The following is our Commitment to Diversity and Accessibility, as of June 30, 2020.
BYGONE THEATRE DIVERSITY & ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENTS
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
Auditions & Casting
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50% of all audition slots will be reserved for those who self-identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour)
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Our Diversity & Accessibility statements will be included on all audition postings
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We will begin our casting process earlier than we have in the past in order to make time to submit postings to diverse communities currently outside of our network
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We will continue to provide character breakdowns that do not include physical attributes or race (unless essential to the story) and will promote colour-conscious casting
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Casting will prioritize actors that have the shared experience of the character
Rehearsal Process
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The first day of rehearsal will include a talk about equity, diversity and inclusion
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All cast members will be required to sign a contract that includes a code of conduct which addresses equity, anti-racism and sexual harassment – this will include a clear structure breakdown for a complaint and resolution process
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Should we produce a show that centres around a character or story about a diverse community, we will hire a consultant or creative team member from that community to address any issues both in the play and the rehearsal room
Production Process
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We will prioritize the hiring of female, LGBTQ2+, Mad/Disabled and BIPOC production artists*
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We will prioritize businesses run by women, LGBTQ2+, Mad/Disabled and BIPOC folks when purchasing items for our company or productions
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We will research the companies that we patronize to ensure they have values consistent with our own
*At the time of writing Bygone Theatre is without any consistent funding, and so our productions rely heavily on the support of volunteers. When we achieve a status that allows us regular operating funding we will re-address this and make a more concrete commitment to diversity numbers, but at the moment many roles are filled by our Artistic Executive Director (who often produces, directs and designs our shows) and whomever chooses to volunteer.
OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY
Auditions & Casting
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We will provide accessible auditions by prioritizing accessible spaces, and, when not available, allowing self-tapes or other opportunities for audition submission
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We will clearly state the accessibility issues with any space we use, and will provide accommodation whenever necessary
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We will clearly state all accessibility issues and potential solutions on all casting and production calls – for example, roles that can be fulfilled from home or that can be completed on a flexible schedule will be stated clearly so as to encourage those with accessibility issues to apply
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We will continue to hold rehearsals in spaces that are accessible by the TTC
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We will continue to create flexible rehearsal schedules that value actor’s time
Rehearsal & Production Process
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We will continue to encourage open communication especially around issues of accessibility, and will provide accommodation as necessary
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We will continue to provide a judgement-free zone and will consult with cast and crew privately to ensure all of their needs are being met
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We will provide all cast and crew with a clear breakdown of roles, responsibilities and hierarchy in order to ensure clear communication, and will include protocols for submitting concerns or complaints
Audience & Community
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We will continue to prioritize accessible performance spaces and advertise possible accommodations
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We will continue to provide ticket discounts to disadvantaged groups
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We will continue to offer Relaxed Performances (dependent on show)
Bygone Theatre 