TCG’s mission is to strengthen, nurture, and promote the professional theatre field. We support the field’s – and the Fall Forum’s – plurality of aesthetic, perspective, race, class, gender, age, mission, as well as organizational size and structure. We stridently reject any form of racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and other forms of hatred, bias, and discrimination at our convenings.
As such, TCG commits to creating the following conditions at our Fall Forum on Governance and at all TCG convenings:
- Avoiding language that is oppressive (for example, racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, and/or ableist) in our materials, session facilitation, and public addresses.
- Making sure that everyone can have a valuable experience by creating multiple entry points to our programming for organizations of different missions and budget sizes, and for attendees at all stages and places in their careers.
- Providing inclusive and accessible Fall Forum spaces and sessions, and clearly noting barriers to accessibility when present.
- Increasing access to the Fall Forum for more people from underrepresented communities, and lowering barriers to attendance.
- Welcoming children and caregivers into our Fall Forum spaces, via our family-friendly policies and our on-site nursing room.
- Making space for self-care and reflection with expanded break times for attendees to escape the bustle of the Fall Forum.
- Striving to create a culture that is communal, casual, and collaborative.
- Encouraging our facilitators to acknowledge power dynamics in session rooms and allow space for all attendees to contribute, regardless of professional title or personal identity.
- Challenging attendees’ preconceptions through our session content and encouraging a spirit of openness with respect to new ideas.
- Creating a clear system through which attendees can report any incidents of misconduct, sexual or otherwise, while at the Fall Forum (See the Anti-Harassment Policy and Reporting System).
- Treating each Fall Forum attendee with respect and an acknowledgment of their full humanity.
- Offering the possibility for discovering joy in the Fall Forum journey, in the inspiration that springs from learning new things, getting to know a new community, and feeling a part of something larger than oneself.
As members of our Fall Forum community, we ask that you support our process by letting a member of TCG staff know if you recognize ways in which any of these conditions are not present in our time together.
We will do our best to support you while you’re with us, individually and collectively, and we hope you feel inspired to take some of what you learn back to your organizations and communities.
TCG designs our Fall Forum with the belief that in this space, like in theatre, everyone has a role to play. We encourage you to engage rather than disengage. We ask that you honor and defer to the lived experiences of your fellow Fall Forum attendees. We urge you to participate in all discussions in the spirit of openness, compassion, and generosity.
Thank you for joining us. We’re glad you’re here.