A Message from TUTS’ Board of Directors & Staff

June 19, 2020

The events of the past couple of weeks have accelerated many internal discussions about where we have been, and where we need to be. We stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement and activists everywhere who are fighting against racial injustice and oppression. We are committed to doing our part to combat systemic racism.

We know that in order for lasting change to occur, anti-racist policies and procedures must be built into our organizational infrastructure. We must consider all aspects of how we operate, including casting, hiring of creative teams, volunteer involvement, and Board recruitment. We must also look carefully at our reporting structure and communications channels, with a view to ensuring that anyone involved with TUTS feels comfortable to safely and constructively raise concerns at any time. Actions that we take in all these areas must be accompanied by metrics via which Board and staff can regularly assess their effectiveness. 

We will continue to communicate our plans in more detail as they emerge. Now and throughout this journey, we welcome input from you, our community. We are discussing a number of ideas around how to foster dialogue and receive feedback, but for starters, please feel free to share your thoughts with us at board@tuts.ca. Operations Manager Kevin Woo’s virtual door is also always open at kevin@tuts.ca.

We are grateful to the many, many BIPOC artists in the theatre community who have bravely and passionately raised their voices (and continue to do so). We are listening, we hear you, we support you, and we will act.

With thanks,

TUTS’ Board Of Directors

Patrick Roberge, Peter Hallett, Karen Sciarretta, Melanie Thompson, Nelli Hanbury, Karin Hung, Ted Steeves, Jane Wace

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