The Oregon Shakespeare Festival proves once again that it is America’s foremost regional theatre company with the launch of its facilitator training program on inclusion and equity issues called artEquity.
As organizations continue to seek new ways to connect with their changing audiences, it will become increasingly important for artists and organizations alike to learn how to break down barriers of gender, race, and class. The problem is that these barriers are often invisible to the artists and organizations. That’s why this type of training is so integral to making real and lasting change.
From the American Theatre article: “My experience is that when given the opportunity, people will usually seek out justice—every time,” said artEquity founder and director Carmen Morgan in a statement. “And that’s in part what this training is about. Our goal is to give participants tools and resources to explore where they have personal agency and how they can continue to use art to transform and confront structural and systemic barriers.”
Since its inception, OSF has been a leader in quality for regional theatres, and artistic director Bill Rauch has taken the company to even great attention and notoriety with last year’s Tony Award-winner for Best New Play All The Way, which was directed by Rauch and commissioned by OSF as part of their American History Cycle.
That it has also broadened its legacy of inclusion, equality, and work for social justice is exemplary for theatres and theatre artists everywhere.
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