EDIA Initiatives

Ethos Statement

SETC is resolutely committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the life and culture of our organization. We are actively interrogating our policies and practices to deliberately take action and institutionalize anti-racist and anti-oppressive policies and practice. SETC will work to center marginalized voices, bodies, and stories. We will listen and learn about racism, discrimination, and adversity.

Values Statement

We believe that all people deserve access to theatre, and that theatre better reflects life when everyone is a part of the conversation. We pledge to make our organization, conferences, services, and products available to all, to create a welcoming environment to as many people as possible, and to identify, address, and eliminate barriers.

Commitment & Dedication

The commitment and dedication of our staff, board, membership, and constituents drive the opportunities that are available through SETC. We value the interconnectedness of individuals who are devoted to theatre in the southeast and nationwide to create a strong community of theatre practitioners.

Communication

The sharing of ideas, best practices, and opportunities is a critical component to our organization and the growth of theatre as an art form. We pledge clear, consistent, and efficient communication to support the needs of our membership and the progress of theatre in the nation.

Diversity & Inclusion

We value the life, stories, and theatre that lifts up people from a wide variety of lived experiences. We pledge to support the most vulnerable among us and provide opportunities for all people.

Empathy

SETC believes that theatre allows us to look at the world from a different perspective than our own. The ability to empathize with another’s experience is a skill that takes practice, and SETC pledges to create those opportunities.

Empowerment

SETC provides opportunities to become stronger, to gain confidence, and to embrace agency over our theatrical destinies. We want to empower future theatre makers and we value partnerships and practitioners that share this commitment.

Equity

We believe in the equitable treatment of people in policies, programs, practices, and services. SETC is committed to fairness and justice without favoritism or discrimination.

Honesty & Integrity

We pledge to conduct business with humility and sincerity, to seek truth in all interactions, to put the needs of our constituents first, to show respect to those who choose to share their expertise, and to operate with strong moral and ethical standards. As theatre seeks truth, so will SETC.

Inspiration

We are motivated by the passion of our membership for theatre as an art form. We believe in the power of stories, in shared ideals, and the ability of theatre to make change in the world. SETC is committed to sharing your passion with others, and inspiring the future of theatre.

Service

SETC serves theatre, its practitioners, its students, its audiences, and its legacy. We pledge to continue growing and learning in service to theatre nationwide.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Every community owes its existence and heritage to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and stories to making the history that led to this moment. Some had their dreams shattered when they were brought here against their will, some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hope of a better life, and some have lived and continue to live on this land where they have told their stories for more generations than can be counted. Before the Southeastern Theatre Conference connected the nation through theatre, the Saponi, Occaneechi, and Catawba Peoples connected their children, elders, and ancestors through stories, hopes, and dreams, and have stewarded this land for over 13,000 years. It is with gratitude that we honor the land and the First Nation people who call Greensboro home, and we also acknowledge that we benefit from their tragic loss of land through colonialism, genocide, and systematic attack. As recently as 1951, the Catawba Indian Nation’s government was “terminated” by the US federal government, and was not reinstated until 1993. The elders say that they have lived here forever, that they looked up at the sky and the Creators gave them their language and culture. We encourage SETC constituents to research and acknowledge the indigeneity of the land where your institution sits. Today, the State of North Carolina recognizes eight tribes as ancestors: Eastern Band of Cherokee, Coharie, Lumbee, Haliwa-Saponi, Sappony, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of Saponi Nation, and Waccamaw-Siouan tribes. This Land Acknowledgement challenges us to learn from their plight, and to draw from their traditions of language, spirituality, and storytelling to better understand community, respect, and stewardship of this great land.