Vancouver Fringe Festival Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) Audit

Final Report

January 2018

─

Anoushka Ratnarajah

Gavin Kade Somers

lee williams boudakian

www.shapeshiftarts.com

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Table of Contents:

I. Introduction 4

Overview 4

Background 4

How Our Work Took Shape: 4

II. Planning 6

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion; A Framework 6

Definition of Terms 7

Our Positionality 8

III. Internal Audit: 9

Overview 9

Core Questions 9

Potential Confounds 9

A. Questionnaire 10

Method 10

Selected Sample of Findings 10

Analysis of Findings 10

B. Interviews 11

Method 11

Themes 11

Analysis 13

IV. External Audit 16

Overview 16

Core Questions 16

Diversity Lottery 16

Potential Confounds 16

A. Focus Groups 17

Method 17

Themes 18

Needs Participants Identified 19

Specific Recommendations from Participants: 20

Analysis of Focus Groups 20

Analysis of Diversity Lottery 21

B. Artist Forum 22

Method 22

Themes 22

Analysis of Diversity Lottery Question 23

V. Recommendations 23

Organization (Internally) 23

Outreach and Support 28

Diversity Lottery 29

EDI Phased Approach 29

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VII. Appendix 31

Links 31

Glossary of Terms 32

Calls For Participation 35

Interview Questions 35

Questionnaire 41

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I. Introduction

Overview

Background

The Vancouver Fringe Festival was founded in 1985 with a mandate of “Theatre for

Everyone.” The use of a first-come first served artist selection process was intended to

favour artists who may not have the opportunity to participate in the theatre practice of the

establishment. Over 30 years later, the Vancouver Fringe are aware that they may be in

danger of cultivating a “Fringe establishment.” Although Fringe has maintained a non-

curated, non-adjudicated, selection process process, modes of communication, production

and presentation have resulted in a festival where the majority of artists are white and come

from euro-centric theatre traditions. On order to understand this lack of diversity more

deeply, The Vancouver Fringe Festival began working with ShapeShift Arts to conduct a

diversity audit.

The following priority areas were identified at the outset of this work:

● Current levels of “inclusivity literacy” of staff and board members

● Current perceptions of the Fringe from underrepresented artists

● Current perceptions of Fringe from artists past and present

● Barriers to festival participation for underrepresented communities

The core aims, as we understood them, were to gain a more comprehensive analysis

regarding the lack of diversity within the festival and the factors (both internal and external)

contributing to these realities.

How Our Work Took Shape:

Based on initial meetings and consultation, we developed a plan for our work, which took

place over a period of six months and involved the following phases:

1. Planning (May-June)

2. Internal Audit (June-July)

3. External Audit (July-September)

4. Data Analysis & Recommendations (August-November)

5. Staff & Board Training (October)

6. Findings Session (November)

7. Final Report (November-December)

Consulting Team

Anoushka Ratnarajah is a queer, mixed race femme and artist and organizer based in

Vancouver. Her arts based and anti-oppression work is rooted in her intersectional identities

and experiences as a queer woman of colour and settler on unceded Coast Salish

Territories. Her facilitation practice engages with many social, political and cultural issues,

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through a critical intersectional lens interrogating race, gender, sexuality, colonialism and

class. She is invested in supporting work that shines a light on histories and contemporary

stories that are underrepresented. She has worked as an organizer on grassroots and

institutional levels for the past ten years, both in supportive and leadership roles. She

supports, collaborates and creates with artists and communities who experience

marginalization, around and into ideas of community, belonging, and identity. As a mixed

race person from settler/immigrant histories, she works from a place of unlearning and re-

learning the complex histories that dictate the ways in which we move through the world.

Gavin Kade is a white trans genderqueer writer, musician and [gender] activist. Fusing

passions of collaborative art making with mixed media and social justice, Gavin aims to

connect with people to create space for self-expression, exploration and growth. As a

facilitator, Gavin brings people together through workshops using a combination of

experiential activities, arts and media to create space for dialogue around personal

experience and systemic violence. Gavin aims to address the impact of marginalized

identities through an intersectional lens and has extensive training and lived experience

unpacking complex issues around gender, sex, and sexual identity.

lee williams boudakian (uses they, them, theirs pronouns) is an interdisciplinary artist, writer,

producer, facilitator, and consultant based in Vancouver, unceded Coast Salish territories.

lee’s work emerges from their experiences as a queer, trans, mixed race settler born into an

immigrant family. Their creative and facilitation work is critical and necessarily intersectional,

examining ancestry, race, culture, gender, sexuality, (im)migration, mental wellness, ability,

class and the impacts/implications of colonization and systemic violence. As of 2015, lee has

been working under ShapeShift Arts and Kalik. Both of these projects house their creative

collaborations and represent models for how they are currently building an arts, education,

and consultation practice.

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II. Planning

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion; A Framework

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion are interrelated though distinct concepts, which often

get conflated or confused in discussions and action… Diversity and inclusion focus,

respectively, on people and processes; equity is about impact. Efforts to realize DEI

can create synergy, but each requires specific attention. It is possible for an

organization to be committed to diversity but not inclusion, or to diversity and

inclusion without taking the larger step toward equity.”

-- D5 Coalition

Prior to delving into the audit, we took care to consider a framework for undertaking this

work. Over the last handful of years, the arts sectors as a whole, and the theatre community

of Vancouver, in particular, has been specifically called on by artists and community to

examine issues of representation and the lack of diversity and inclusion within performance

practices1. In direct response, we now see organizations taking important steps to address

Diversity and Inclusion, including the Vancouver Fringe Festival.

A call for more Diversity reflects the need for greater representation of people across a wide

spectrum of lived experiences and realities, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality,

ability, class, migration and more. Inclusion, on the other hand, is about the ability for all

involved people to authentically participate and engage at every level of the organization

from leadership to audience. Hence, Diversity and Inclusion are important elements that

require attention in order to change the nature of representation in the arts.

For the purpose of our work, however, we understand Diversity and Inclusion as two parts of

a larger effort that must necessarily also include and forefront Equity in its framework. Equity

focuses on strategy, policy and procedure, personnel, and a clear analysis. It places the

emphasis on the organizations seeking to enhance Diversity and Inclusion and holds to

account the various ways organizations operate. An Equity framework is one that

understands different communities will have different needs, and therefore orients its

strategies and efforts to appropriately meet each of the communities it strives to

reach/represent/include. It underscores that the issues don’t exclusively lie external to the

organization and cannot be fixed solely by making additional spaces available, but rather

highlights that the necessary changes will take time, relationship building, and require the

development of a comprehensive internal analysis in order for the desired outcomes to

become possible.

It is significant to note that a good deal of precedence for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

(EDI) work exists at the level of larger scale institutions, organizations and bureaucracies,

including institutions for higher learning (colleges and universities), medical establishments,

and governments (municipal, provincial, federal). However, arts and culture is populated with

many smaller non-profit organizations who are often challenged at the level of daily

operations to such an extent that undertaking Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts often

feel beyond reach.

1 There have been numerous examples, to cite one example, ReaCT’s letter to the Jessie’s:

https://www.straight.com/arts/495941/ad-hoc-group-sparks-discussion-racial-representation-vancouvers-stage-scene-letter

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During our work with Vancouver Fringe Festival, we researched a range of EDI audit,

training, and organizational frameworks, developing tailored materials to offer a reasonable

analysis and series of recommendations. Our aim in this work is not only to survey the

particular situation of/for the Vancouver Fringe Festival, but to create a framework for EDI

and a model of inquiry that can be useful for many arts organizations, practitioners, and

festivals.

Definition of Terms

Equity

Equity means justice, and focuses on outcomes that are most appropriate for a given group,

recognizing different challenges, needs, and histories. It is distinct from diversity, which can

simply mean variety (the presence of individuals with various identities). It is also not

equality, or “same treatment,” which doesn’t take differing needs or disparate outcomes into

account. Systemic equity involves a robust system and dynamic process consciously

designed to create, support and sustain social justice. (Race Forward)

Strategies that advance equity require an analysis of the historical and, in many cases

persistent (systemic) factors that create unequal conditions and thus unequal opportunity for

certain groups of people. The pursuit of equity recognizes and accounts for the complex

interaction between the dynamics of identity, socio-economic forces, and policy and practice

that operate in any given environment and context. (D5 Coalition)

Diversity

There are many kinds of diversity, based on race, gender, sexual orientation, class, age,

country of origin, education, religion, geography, physical, or cognitive abilities. Valuing

diversity means recognizing differences between people, acknowledging that these

differences are a valued asset, and striving for diverse representation as a critical step

towards equity. (Race Forward)

Diversity may or may not be linked to the issue of equity. A diverse workplace is not

necessarily an equitable workplace. Nor does the presence of people who are diverse

necessarily produce decision-making that optimizes results for the groups their diversity

reflects. A foundation that focuses only on diversity cannot presume that it has equity as a

goal. For these reasons, diversity and equity are conceptually separate. The more the term

diversity is used to refer to any feature of an individual’s being or choices, the more likely it is

to be uncoupled definitionally from issues and structures that produce and maintain power

differentials. (D5 Coalition)

Inclusion

Being included within a group or structure. More than simply diversity and quantitative

representation, inclusion involves authentic and empowered participation, with a true sense

of belonging and full access to opportunities. (Race Forward)

It is the ability of diverse peoples to raise their perspectives authentically and for those

voices to matter and affect decisions within majority-group settings where the organizational

culture has been enabled for that to happen. It is also the initiative of majority-group

members to access non-majority voices in the latter’s own settings and through their own

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informational vehicles, so that majority-group members enlarge their understanding of issues

and relationships. (D5 Coalition)

Underrepresented Artists and Communities

Taking an intersectional approach to examining EDI means that we are paying attention to

artist representation across spectrums of race, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability,

class, immigration status, and more. For the purpose of this report and study, we are using

the terms “Underrepresented Artists” and “Underrepresented Communities" to describe

“diverse” artists and communities currently underrepresented in the Vancouver Fringe

Festival.

We use the term underrepresented as well because it highlights the structural and systemic

power imbalances that marginalized artists have to navigate. These artists are marginalized

and experience oppression, not just in terms of representation and access to theatre and the

Fringe, but in every aspect of their lives. We chose the term underrepresented to place this

audit within a larger context and emphasize the need for marginalized artists to be

represented. Furthermore, we desired to move away from terminology of “diverse” and

“diversity,” because true representation means more than just a diverse body count, but

deeper and more nuanced stories taking centre stage.

Our Positionality

We come to this work as artists, educators and consultants living at the intersections of

many of the identities and lived experiences that are currently underrepresented at the

Vancouver Fringe. We have been transparent from the outset that our positionality will guide

our research findings, as we are not only seeking the opinions of particular communities, but

indeed, we are impacted by the very issues we are here to research. This undoubtedly leads

us to design and interpret the data through our lens of lived experiences.

While we have attempted to remain as neutral in our methodologies and analysis as

possible, we believe that neutrality is not necessarily something that benefits this work. We

see our strength as a team attributable to our experiences as marginalized artists in theatre

and the arts in Vancouver.

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III. Internal Audit:

Overview

The Internal Audit was created as a means to examine the internal literacy of equity,

diversity and inclusion within the Vancouver Fringe Festival. Through the audit, we explored

the shared knowledge, practices, and policies regarding EDI within the organization. The

Internal Audit took place from June to July of 2017 and involved a questionnaire, followed by

interviews with each of the Board and Staff of Vancouver Fringe at that time.

Core Questions

● What is the internal literacy of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion?

● Where is the organization currently with EDI in terms of: commitment, policy

(formal/informal), operations, programming/administrating festival, staff & board

dynamics, accountability and evaluation measures?

● How is EDI integrated into internal workings?

These questions were important in creating a foundation of understanding of the internal

perceptions, knowledge, commitment, application and evaluation of EDI within the

organization. In asking these questions, we were able to discern both qualitative data (what

staff and board perceived and felt about EDI generally, and within the organization) and

quantitative data (how many participants had a working definition of EDI, as well as practices

and policies within the organization).

Potential Confounds

In undergoing any form of research, it must be noted that there are always potential

confounds, which can obscure the results and our analysis. The following is a brief overview

of a few of the more obvious possible confounds related to our work.

● Language (what do different terms mean, are the right terms being used)

○ Some of the language we used in the questionnaire may have led to false

responses. That is to say, the answer that people gave may not in fact reflect

the truth of their understanding, but rather a misunderstanding of the

language in the questionnaire or interview questions.

● Successful at gauging Perception, not necessarily Facts

○ The findings from the questions posed by our questionnaire and interviews

were successful at gauging internal perceptions of EDI and what individuals

thought about its place within the organization, rather than establishing any

concrete or verifiable facts about whether EDI principles exist in written

internal policy, or implemented through consistent organizational practice.

The answers discovered through both methods (questionnaire and

interviews), were able to bring to light what individuals working for the

organization thought about organizational EDI definitions and practices.

○ Perception here is based on the experiences of staff and board working within

the organization, and this is important qualitative data that demonstrates the

gaps in knowledge, communication and practices around EDI.

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● Design of Questionnaire

○ We informed our approach through a combination of research, conducting a

review of other existing questionnaires, and information given to us through

initial meetings with Vancouver Fringe in order to understand the kinds of

information the organization felt they wanted answers to at the outset.

A. Questionnaire

Method

The Questionnaire was shared with all Board and Staff prior to the interviews. A sample of

the Questionnaire can be found in the Appendix.

Selected Sample of Findings

57.1% said yes, Fringe prioritizes Equity and Diversity, with 28.6% saying they don't

know and 14.3% saying no.

50% of staff and board said they don't know whether Equity Statements or

Objectives existed within the organization, with 28.6% saying yes, and 21.4% saying

no.

61.5% said yes Equity Statements exist within the organization's Mission Statement,

with 23.1% saying no, and 15.4% saying they don’t know.

64.3% said yes, Equity Objectives are included within Strategic Goals, plans and

initiatives, 35.7% said they don’t know.

78.6% said they don’t know if equity principles were included in the organization’s

operational plans, with 14.3% saying yes, and 7.1% saying no.

53.8% said no, equity objectives are not posted or available internally for staff and

board, with 30.8% saying they don’t know, and 15.4% saying yes.

53.8% said no, there are no mechanisms in place to measure equity achievements

within the organization, with 30.8% saying they don’t know, and 15.4% saying yes.

46.2% said no, equity objectives and outcomes are not explicitly assigned to anyone

in the organization, with 46.2% saying they don't know, and 7.7% saying yes.

76.9% said yes, equity objectives and outcomes should be assigned to someone

within the organization, with 23.1% saying they don't know.

53.8% said that there was no training or resources provided to staff and board

regarding EDI, with 30.8% saying yes, and 15.4% saying they don’t know.

Analysis of Findings

Strong Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion; Uncertain commitment to Equity

● The findings revealed that individuals have a strong expressed commitment to

improving the implementation and practice of Diversity and Inclusion.

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● However, there is an uncertain commitment to Equity, especially given that some

individuals do not necessarily have a working definition of Equity, and often confuse

or conflate Equity with/for Diversity and Inclusion.

Inconsistent Working definitions for EDI exist

● Staff and board have some working definitions of EDI, but are aware of significant

knowledge gaps, and consistently expressed desire for more training, resources and

support to fill in those gaps.

● Some staff and board mixed up terms and definitions; for instance, some definitions

of equity were more suited to a definition or practice of inclusion, or diversity, or visa

versa.

Conflicting Perceptions of EDI Policies and Practices

● The data brought to light that staff and board have conflicting perceptions of whether

the organization currently has EDI intentions or practices in place.

● These statistics illustrate the internal disparities between what is known and unknown

by staff and board regarding EDI statements, objectives, practices and

measurements within the organization. This demonstrates that if information exists, it

is not shared transparently with staff and board.

A need for documented policies and practices for EDI

● Informal and uncertain existing practices should be identified, explicitly named,

discussed, agreed upon and formalized.

B. Interviews

Method

Interviews were conducted one to one, with a member of the ShapeShift Arts team and

Vancouver Fringe staff or board member. Interviews were roughly one hour long. Each

person interviewed was asked a series of predetermined questions. These interviews were

designed as an opportunity to collect more qualitative data exploring themes concerning EDI

within the organization.

Themes

Lack of continuity building relationships

● Executive Director was identified as the key relationship holder for the organization,

leaving the responsibility and history of relationships with one person in the

organization, and creating difficulty in terms of the sustainability and continuity of

those relationships.

● Temporary and seasonal staff with existing relationships have historically offered

support in building relationships with underrepresented communities. However, there

has been a repeated difficulty in maintaining those relationships once temporary or

seasonal staff leave the organization.

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Dependent on seasonal hiring to add to diversity in the staff

● Several interviewees mentioned the hiring of seasonal staff (and festival volunteers)

as a key area where diversity was created within the organization. However,

permanent staff do not reflect the same diversity.

A need for EDI training, resources and support

● All staff indicated a strong desire for more training, resources, and organizational

support concerning Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

● There was concern shared by staff in not feeling adequately prepared to support the

needs of underrepresented artists.

● A number of staff revealed feeling an undue strain and burden to educate other staff,

particularly regarding their own lived experiences, as well as having to be

spokespeople for their communities.

A need for time to plan

● Many expressed feeling that there are a lack of clear plans concerning EDI to date,

and expressed eagerness to receive the results of this Audit in order to move into

planning.

● Strong desire among Staff and Board to participate in the strategic planning and a

need for clearly documented plans that are accessible to all personnel.

Disconnection between Board and Staff

● While very common in many non-profits, there is a noted disconnection between

Board and Staff. Many members of each commented that they don’t know very much

about the operations of the other.

● Many expressed a desire to know more about how the other operates, and to have

more opportunities to connect about the work and responsibilities that each body

oversees.

● Information is not shared between board and staff, with many feeling like they don’t

have enough information about key activities, programs, initiatives.

● Due to the nature of a volunteer Board, with time being a rare resource, the Board

was identified as resistant to full participation in EDI efforts because of the

requirements of time.

Outreach: and how to do that Outreach

● The desire to do outreach is present, but there is concern about how to initiate and

sustain new relationships given capacity of the organization and individual workloads

● Board acknowledged that key relationships were built with fundraising and other hard

skills in mind, (ie, recruitment focuses on people with desirable professional skills,

like accounting, law, etc) and that cultural, artistic or community partners (especially

those currently underrepresented in Fringe) were not as prioritized on a board level.

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● Many staff and board expressed feeling that Diversity initiatives should be focused on

increasing diverse artist representation in the festival and that the answer to issues of

underrepresentation largely lie external to the organization.

Conflict Resolution

● Developing Conflict Resolution skills was something that emerged for many staff.

This was brought up not only in relation to staff dynamics but regarding working and

responding to underrepresented artists and participating in the Festival.

● Burden of dealing with conflict is placed on the marginalized or affected staff person.

● When conflict comes up unsure what to do.

Additional Challenges to EDI

● Staff and board expressed concern for their ability to devise and implement policies

and/or practices based on size of organization and current work-load

● Regardless, an expressed desire for strategy, clarity, communication, and designated

roles/responsibilities for EDI

● Discrepancy between how much information is shared and known for/between Staff

and Board; As a result: perceptions of the current landscape vary and conflict

Analysis

High levels of enthusiasm

● Desire to learn

○ The desire to learn and grow skills pertaining to EDI was reiterated in all

interviews with staff and board. There is an acknowledgement that the work is

in it’s beginning stages and that a commitment to EDI must be long term and

involve working with and learning from those who hold particular knowledge

regarding EDI. Literature, workshops and other resources were cited by staff

and board as a way to approach this learning.

● Openness and Willingness

○ Staff and board appeared to be willing and open to the challenges, learning

and work involved in committing to EDI organizationally. Even with concerns

regarding uncertainty as to where to begin and the potential increase to

personal and professional workloads, staff and board are clear that EDI can

and should be a priority for the organization.

● Lots of conversations around Diversity

○ Staff and board all expressed that conversations about EDI are increasingly

present in relation to the organization, and in theatre and the arts sector

generally. There is an understanding that EDI is becoming more of a priority

in the workplace, on stage and in audiences. Fringe board and staff see

themselves as part of a broader conversation about EDI happening between

and within arts organizations in Vancouver and Canada.

○ It should be noted that generally, conversations about EDI as related by staff

and board were focused more on Diversity and Inclusion for/of

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underrepresented artists and communities, rather than an Equity framework.

This likely reflects a better understanding of Diversity and Inclusion than

Equity by staff and board.

● See Vancouver Fringe as potential leader in theatre community doing this work

○ This sentiment was repeated by some staff and board; that Fringe, with the

mandate and mission of being “theatre for everyone,” is in a prime position to

be a model for how to do this work within the theatre industry. Furthermore,

there is a desire to step into this leadership role as an organization.

A Need for Capacity-Building Through Trainings, Resources and Organizational Support

● Many people feeling like they aren’t educated enough or don’t know enough

○ Fears of saying and doing the wrong thing often prevented staff and board

from engaging in conversations or taking action in support of EDI. There was

an anxiety felt around the idea of creating further harm to a person or a

relationship, and a fear of the perception of ignorance.

○ People are at different places of awareness in regards to EDI, and there is a

challenge in getting everyone on the same page-- and a desire for everyone

to be on the same page. There is a general understanding that this work will

“never be finished” and that learning is ongoing despite differences in

experiences and knowledge.

Internal Communications

● Lack information disseminating between staff members

○ No clear communication regarding how EDI would factor into each staff

member’s responsibilities.

● Lack of information disseminating between board members

○ Board does not have a shared understanding how EDI can and should factor

into governance of the organization. If individual Board members have

particular connections to underrepresented communities/artists etc, this

information is not shared across the Board.

● Disconnect between Board and Staff

○ Want more opportunities to connect internally between staff & board. Board

and staff do not know each other, or have an understanding of who is

responsible for what within the organization. There has been a hyper reliance

on the ED to hold all of these relationships and the knowledge that comes

with them.

A Need for Longterm and Shortterm Planning

● High degree of concern about time, workload, and personnel

○ Staff shared concerns about how implementing EDI would impact their

current workloads, especially during Festival season.

○ Questions arose regarding whether EDI would shift their current

responsibilities, add to them, or if there would be the need for additional hires

to do this work.

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○ There was often a question of what is achievable in the short term, and what

could be done immediately. Ideas for long term goals and vision are less

clear.

○ As a volunteer Board, there was also concern about time and energy and

investment involved in implementing EDI.

● Unclear plan, and aware that implementation will be a challenge

○ Staff and board made clear they are aware that there is currently no clear

plan to implement EDI, nor is there a process to set that plan in place.

However, there was a clear desire to create such a plan post-Audit, and all

understand that this is necessary in order to proceed with clarity and with

achievable goals in mind.

Conflicting Views and Priorities

● Believe that more diverse artists in festival is the number one priority, audience

second.

○ This sentiment was echoed throughout interviews with staff and board. There

is a core belief that diversity on the stage should be a top priority for the

organization. However, ideas for further resources, outreach and support for

marginalized or underrepresented artists are underdeveloped.

○ It will remain problematic if pressure is exclusively or heavily placed on artists

to uphold or represent EDI without efforts being made in other areas or the

organization including internal infrastructure, staffing, partnerships, outreach,

mentorship and more.

○ Currently, outreach, accessibility, programming for marginalized communities

and artists are maintained per festival season, rather than building

relationships and programming throughout the year or with long term vision.

● Contrasting views that organization is simultaneously very welcoming (for staff,

board, and participating artists); but that conflict is not well-tolerated and there are no

clear paths for resolving conflict (internally or with participating artists and

communities)

○ This conflicting information came up throughout interviews with staff and

board. Among some individuals there is a perception and experience of the

organization as being inclusive, both in the workplace and at the festival,

while for others, this perception/experience is not shared, and instead there is

a feeling of conflict avoidance, inclusive of when issues of EDI came up in the

workplace and Festival.

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IV. External Audit:

Overview

The External Audit was designed as a means to consult with communities of theatre artists

regarding their experiences, perceptions, and desired involvement with the Vancouver

Fringe Festival. As part of this process we conducted three focus groups with theatre artists

currently underrepresented within the Vancouver Fringe Festival. Following the focus groups

we held an Artists Forum for theatre artists who have participated in the Fringe Festival

(whether this year or in years past). This work took place from July to September of 2017.

Core Questions

● What are the barriers for participation?

● What are the barriers to applying?

● What do artists need in order make the Fringe a viable option for their work?

The above questions represent the core questions that our team identified. The full list of

questions asked in the focus groups are attached in the Appendix.

Questions were designed to help uncover how Fringe is perceived by artists who have not

previously participated, and how their perceptions and assumptions have impacted their

decisions to apply or not apply. Participants’ perceptions have been informed by reviewing

Fringe Festival advertising and social media, through conversations with other artists and

through comparison with experiences and perceptions of other arts festivals.

Once barriers were identified, we asked for suggestions from participants as to how Fringe

could better avail itself as a supportive platform for these underrepresented artists (ie what

kinds of support they expect in order to participate).

Diversity Lottery

Prior to beginning the External Audit, Vancouver Fringe identified that artists had previously

called into questions the role of the ”Lottery” in creating and shaping inequitable access for

underrepresented artists. As a result, Vancouver Fringe wanted to test the idea of having

priority spaces reserved for “diverse” artists that apply, seeking feedback and direction from

participants. Hence, in each of the Focus Groups and Artist Forum, a section of time was

used to address the question of the Diversity Lottery.

Potential Confounds

The following is a brief overview of a few of the more obvious possible confounds related to

the External Audit:

● Sample Selection and Size

○ Participants were selected by responding to a callout for the Focus Groups

and filling in a pre-selection survey. We worked hard to distribute the callout

widely, and through as many channels as possible. That said, the reach of

this callout will reflect the turnout; and the method of selection may have

posed barriers for participation.

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○ The sample size for the Focus Groups was 30 people total (with 8-12 people

per focus group), and a total of 15 people for the Artist Forum. This is a

relatively small sampling of people and the results should not necessarily be

taken as the perspectives of all underrepresented artists, but rather a

reflection of the people that participated in these sessions.

● Structure of Focus Groups and Forum

○ In order to best use our team’s time and resources, and in order to focus in on

a few specific ideas and questions (i.e. the diversity lottery), the methods we

used involved groups of people coming together, rather than one-to-one

interviews. As a result, participants often elaborated on each other’s ideas,

rather than the singular perspective of a participant being recorded. We see

this as a strength for the kinds of dialogue that were possible.

● Variety and Diversity of Perspectives

○ Not all underrepresented artists feel or see things the same. Further there is a

great deal of difference (in terms of identity and perspective) between all

artists who participated in this study.

○ While there were commonalities between participants, it should be taken with

significant awareness that there are many different people with different lived

experiences coming together for this study.

● Perception

○ We use the word “perception” here with caution -- as “perception” can often

be used as a way to dismiss people’s experiences as erroneous (ex: “that’s

not how it really is, that’s just how you think it is”). Rather, how

underrepresented artists perceive the Fringe is a very significant step to

understanding some of the gaps between the Fringe and the communities

they seek to serve. Additionally, as artists explained in the Focus Groups, p

A. Focus Groups

Method

● Three focus groups with 8-12 participants; total sample size 30 people, including

artists of colour, d/Deaf and deaf/blind artists, queer and trans artists, artists with

disabilities (including a spectrum of physical and neurological abilities), and low

income artists.

● Conducted: August 28th, September 1st, and September 2nd

● Each focus group was asked the same set of questions

● Participants’ artistic practices included:

○ Actors

○ Playwrights

○ Producers

○ Interdisciplinary Artists & Performers

○ Musicians

○ Performing Poets

○ Expressive Arts Practitioners

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Themes

Fringe could offer great opportunity for artists

● In all focus groups, participants saw Fringe as a breakthrough opportunity for

emerging artists.

● Participants also saw the Fringe as a place to engage and grow new audiences.

● Fringe is seen as one of the more “accessible” places for emerging artists to get their

work staged. It is perceived to have fewer barriers than other theatre festivals or

companies.

Not really Theatre for Everyone

● Participants agreed that the idea of “theatre for everyone” was not how they saw or

experienced the Festival; that the proposition that the Festival can be everything to

everybody is neither true, nor possible.

● Participants said that most of the Fringe seemed to feature stories that are already

dominantly represented in theatre and other media, and remarked not having seen

shows that reflected their own lived experiences.

● Participants brought up that diverse artists need specific kinds of supports

(administrative, financial, physical access, organizational) in order to produce their

work, and that they did not perceive Fringe to have these kinds of supports in place.

Perception that the “Fringe Establishment” is an exclusive group of artists, mostly white

● Participants reflected that they perceived there to be a Fringe Establishment, of

repeat artists, most of whom seemed to be white men and/or repeat artists.

Uncertain if Fringe is for Diverse Artists

● There was a desire to participate in the Fringe, but resistance to taking the step

because of the perception that there is little support available for diverse artists

● Without the support needed for marginalized artists, fears expressed that artists

would be set up for failure.

● This failure bears an extra burden for underrepresented artists because of the burden

of representation placed upon them (ie: the idea that marginalized and

underrepresented people are held to higher standards than privileged and dominant

people-- they are expected to represent a broad cross section of people within their

perceived identity group).

Barriers of Time/Money/Resources

● Like most artists, emerging or otherwise, participants cited the struggle with time,

money and other resources when creating and producing work. However,

marginalized artists face extra barriers to these resources due to the intersections of

race, class, gender, ability, language etc. The struggle begins long before Fringe, but

would be compounded during applications, lead up and festival time.

Lack of Diverse representation in the Organization is a Barrier

● Participants brought up that seeing a lack of diverse representation within the

organization (staff) meant that they were less likely to trust that the organization was

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committed to nurturing diverse artists, since there are few people on staff who have

experiential knowledge regarding what diverse artists need.

Lack of existing networks to tap into

● Underrepresented and marginalized artists have fewer networks to tap into for

collaborators, audiences, fundraisers etc. Participants expressed desire for more

networking, mentorship and guidance opportunities in order to grow and create

networks and foster relationships between underrepresented artists and other artists

and arts professionals at the Fringe.

Needs Participants Identified

Resources, Financial Support

● Bursaries for fees

● Stipend for participating artists

○ Participants cited that the “no money guarantee” of doing a Fringe run is a

major barrier to participating.

● Focused attention and resources for Accessibility

○ Participants stated their access needs were not met by Fringe, and that

accessibility does not come off as a priority, and needs to be given more care

by the organization.

● Childcare options

○ A fair number of focus group participants are parents. The lack of childcare

for artists is a major barrier for these artists to mount a Fringe show or attend

any of the ancillary programming.

More Information

● Make it clearer how to apply (on website)

○ Many people commented on finding the website difficult to navigate.

■ Specific reasons they went to the site included: looking for application

deadline, application form, information on the festival for artists,

accessibility information, bios on the staff, bios of the board,

information on past festivals.

■ Many found the site pleasing to look at, but not necessarily clear on

how to find what they wanted, or found the site to be lacking in

important content they were looking for.

● Information sessions for first-time applicants

○ Many commented that they would like to see/attend information sessions for

first-time applicants. They recommended several of these sessions taking

place at different locations in the community (i.e. not all on Granville Island).

Mentorship Opportunities

● Many underrepresented artists discussed the lack of opportunities available to them

to develop their craft and prepare for a Fringe show.

● Core areas identified included

○ Dramaturgical support

○ Producing support

○ Networking and building community

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Events & Year-round Programming

● Fringe events (like an open mic/ like performance jam).

● Year-round programming that enables people to plug into Fringe.

○ Many folks identified a lack of connection to the Fringe and suggested that

year-round programming would offer people different entry-points to begin

building a relationship with the Fringe.

Specific Recommendations from Participants:

● Think about offering audience incentives

● Low income tickets (or sliding scale tickets)

● Outreach and partnerships with communities

● Address diversity within the mandate and mission.

● Shift to an outreach mandate: make it so that outreach is what drives the entire

machine: accessing young folks, giving people a space, accessing artists who don’t

have a lot of money, getting critical feedback, could be putting money into developing

a few key events that lead up to the festival, etc.

● Mentorship opportunities

● Fringe events (like an open mic/ like performance jam)

● Should have some process of curation

● Guest curators (local or from other places) - this pool of our lottery, have workshops,

getting into the grassroots of the community and infusing it with long sustainable life.

● Don’t have volunteers only during the show, have volunteers and staff year-round as

part of an outreach team

● Waive the fees for diverse artists

● Have a community liaison piece

● Artist socials, opportunities to convene (during festival and throughout the year)

● Fringe to really examine “why this work is important right now” and reassess their

identity a bit

Analysis of Focus Groups

There is desire to engage with the Fringe

● Fringe is seen as an opportunity for experimentation, growth, and a place for

emerging artists to breakthrough.

Fringe Establishment

● There was the belief that the Fringe does have an establishment that is difficult to

break into, understand the merits of, and generally excludes adequate supports for

marginalized artists.

Perception of who the Fringe is for

● General perception that the “fringe is not for artists like me” and does not include the

work of other “artists like me.”

● Many artists expressed feeling that their work and talent does not belong in the

Fringe Festival.

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● Further many believed that based on the prior performance history of the Fringe, the

anticipated audiences, and the organization that diverse artists would not feel safe

bringing their work to the Fringe.

Multiple perceived and actual barriers for participation

● From the financial and time requirements, the lack of familiarity with the Fringe,

compounded the strong belief that the Fringe doesn’t support marginalized artists.

Desire for supported entry into the festival

● Participants suggested that entry to the festival could be fostered by support at the

levels of (Including, but not limited to) : application, funding, networking, marketing,

and producing.

Outreach and relationship Development

● Strong need to see outreach and meaningful development of relationships

came up repeatedly in a number of different ways, with the emphasis being that the

Fringe needs to work on building relationships with artists, communities, and

organizations.

Analysis of Diversity Lottery

General Response of Skepticism

● The general response to diversity lottery was skepticism. On the whole, most were

not in favour of the "diversity lottery.”

● Many questions arose regarding the effectiveness of the “diversity lottery” including

how to determine which works were suitable, how to understand the nuances of

underrepresented communities and the impact on artists and shows selected through

this process.

Recommend approaching lack of diversity through Partnerships and Programming

● Participants expressed openness and interest in the Vancouver Fringe exploring

initiatives that prioritize diverse artists, specifically taking the shape of partnerships,

and/or curated or spotlighted programming.

Hire and Partner with Underrepresented Artists to lead Diversity Initiatives

● There was a strong and repeating recommendation that people of/from

underrepresented communities be actively involved in leading whatever

programming Vancouver Fringe initiates. The other suggestion that came up in every

focus group was that the "lottery" is not the answer, and further internal work is

where future efforts need to placed.”

A Need to Witness Organizational Commitment to the ongoing work of EDI

● Artists are largely uninterested in priority spaces and opportunities that do not also

come with a feeling of safety with the organization.

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B. Artist Forum

Method

● Artist Forum aiming for 15-20 participants; total sample size 12 people including deaf

artists, artists of colour, queer and trans artists, artists with disabilities, artists whose

practice lives outside of mainstream theatre

● Conducted: September 12th, 2017

● Asked a predetermined set of questions, followed by discussion

Themes

Fringe Offers Unique Opportunity to gain access and recognition

● All participants shared that a major reason they chose the fringe was to gain access

to opportunities for sharing their work and having it get recognized.

● Select participants went on to share that they felt it was the only place they could see

their work going (because of barriers accessing mainstream theatre programming

seasons and/or venues).

Fringe As a Place for Experimenting

● Artists came to the Fringe as they understood it to be a space where the conventions

of “real theatre” are thrown out and there is room to experiment.

Structure of the Fringe Hard on Participants

● Several participants shared that a Fringe Show “runs artists into the ground.”

● The costs to put on the show (inclusive of Fringe fee, but also all the other

time/labour/costs associated with creating, rehearsing, and preparing the show);

quick load in and strike times; the amount of shows; the lack of time to rehearse and

get tech right; the burden of self-producing as well as creating; Lack of childcare;

trying to juggle work, etc.

● Uncertain box office makes the risks associated with putting on a show very

challenging for artists to carry.

Challenges Communicating with Fringe Staff

● Participants shared difficulties connecting with Fringe Staff regarding access needs

(ex: ASL interpreters, technical needs like lighting for blind/low-vision folks, etc).

Expensive and Difficult to Sustain

● Financial instability

● Cost is high and artists make very little money generally.

Fringe Establishment and Feelings of Not Belonging

● Having attended some of the events, workshops, and awards ceremony in addition to

mounting their shows, participants felt on the outside of the experience. They

expressed finding it difficult to find like-minded people and that there was a feeling

that others were part of something that they weren’t part of

Specific Recommendations from Forum Participants:

● Targeted Mentorship Programs for Diverse Communities

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● Cooperative Box Office Model

● Emphasis on Accessibility

● Advocate for Funding Participating Artists

● Attention to Communications Materials and Messaging of Callouts

● Attention to the Structure of the Fringe

Analysis of Diversity Lottery Question

General Response of Skepticism

● The artist forum presented the same skeptical general response to diversity lottery as

the focus groups. On the whole, most were not in favour of idea of implementing a

"diversity lottery.”

● Concerns that Diversity Lottery would not reflect well on the artists and the work (i.e.

that it tokenizes and ghettoizes the work.

Questions about Process

● If the Fringe moves forward with a Diversity Lottery, there will be a real need to

examine how the process will work: how will artists self-identify, what will the

administration of that section look like, who will manage it, etc.

Diversity Lottery Is not the Answer

● A sense from participants that a Diversity Lottery is not the answer, but is rather a

“bandaid solution.”

V. Recommendations

Organization (Internally)

1. Internal Meetings - For Board & Staff

While it makes sense that not all members of the staff and board team would share all

information regarding EDI, identifying key information to be shared and scheduling meetings

at regular intervals (ex: quarterly meetings) for all of the staff and board to come together is

significantly important. These meetings could also be opportunities to share resources on

EDI and chip away at a particular element of EDI (self-assessment, visioning, strategy).

Having team buy-in and many people contributing to ongoing self-education and strategic

development, will ensure effective implementation of EDI policy, practices, and operations.

Specifically, as part of the Internal Audit, the Board was identified as resistant to full

participation in EDI efforts. Acknowledging the constraints of time for a volunteer board, it is

still significant that both board and staff commit and participate in this process.

Comprehensive buy-in is advised in order to fully move forward with EDI.

2. Capacity-Building Through Trainings -- For Board & Staff

Staff and Board competency regarding EDI is essential. In order to build literacy and

competency with EDI, recommend Staff and Board trainings for EDI on an ongoing basis as

an opportunity to continue learning, enhance team competency, bring people together, etc.

Trainings can and should move from more introductory concepts/ideas-based trainings to

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sessions geared to tackle specific issues surfacing for Vancouver Fringe staff and board. In

order to best utilize Board time and participation, these trainings could occur during Board

Meetings or other regularly scheduled meetings, whether these be annually, quarterly, or at

other intervals of time.

3. Visioning, Strategic Planning & Operations

Visioning sessions, which can be seen as different/separate from Strategic Planning

sessions, allow for the organization (inclusive of staff and board) to come together and

imagine different ways to create and implement EDI policies and practices. It allows for team

building, group cohesion, and participation of all members, all of which contribute to

meaningful implementation of plans.

In addition to wider organizational Strategic Plans, or as part of those plans, it is advisable to

create an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Plan that examines:

○ Practice & Policy

○ Operations

○ Festival

○ Additional Programming

○ Outreach

○ Communications

○ Data Tracking

○ Evaluation

Post Visioning, Strategic Planning sessions can allow the organization to identify specific

and achievable goals for each year. It is recommended that the organization create EDI

specific goals, and revisit, evaluate and build upon these goals annually.

4. Data Collection

Data collection can play a significant part in measuring and evaluating the success of EDI

commitment and practices over time. This information can also serve as a vital guide to the

kinds of adjustments and changes that need to take place, and can serve as an aid to

making the case for and securing funding to support EDI initiatives. Therefore, it is significant

to gather precise data about artists applying for and selected to be in the festival, as well as

concerning volunteers, audiences, staff, and board.

Asking marginalized people for information concerning their identities and lived experiences

is a responsibility to be taken seriously. This practice, though important in terms of

identifying applicants and what they may need from your organization, can present issues

related to the choice of language, the framing of questions, and the impact of your language

and questions upon applicants. Artists may be turned off by your approach or terminology,

and the language you choose can be see as an indicator of whether or not your organization

is, in fact, an empowering platform for their work. It is recommended that multiple references

be sought out, and care and adaptability be taken with the implementation of new data

collection measures.

Some Guiding examples :

● On festival/lottery application forms and/or artist information forms, allow the

opportunity for artists to identify themselves. One approach is to have a voluntary

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self-identification form or section (the Canada Council uses the approach of utilizing

a separate form that goes along with applications), or you can have fields that are

part of the form itself. These fields should be indicated as optional, allowing

applicants the opportunity to identify as they feel comfortable, rather than imposing

this on all people.

● In the case of a separate form or section of the form, using the Canada Council’s

self-identification form as a model, you can create a document that specifically asks

people about2:

○ Age (date of birth)

○ Gender

○ Place of Residence

○ Home city/town/hamlet

○ Citizenship and Immigration or country of residence

○ Languages Spoken

○ D/deaf, hard of hearing

○ Has or lives with a disability (including blind, low vision, physical disability,

mobility issues, learning disability, living with mental or chronic illness)

○ Indigenous, First Nations, Métis, Aboriginal

○ Person of Colour, Culturally Diverse (person of African, East-Asian,

Southeast-Asian, South-Asian, Southwest-Asian/North African, Latin

American or Mixed heritage descent)

(Please Specify: ____________________)

○ Parent, Guardian of children/youth (under age 18)

○ Low Income

● You may elect to have an added option/field for folks to share anything additional,

such as:

○ If we have missed an identity that is significant for you, or if there is anything

else about how you identify that you would like us to know, please

specify:____________

● Forms should also include an introduction stating why the information is being

collected, how it is being used, who has access to it, and where it is being stored. As

part of naming why the information is being requested, you may want to include a

statement regarding your commitment to EDI. This will contextualize the data

collection and allow people to make an informed decision about how or if they

choose to respond.

○ Example of Canada Council’s Self-Identification Preamble:

“The Canada Council for the Arts encourages you to complete this voluntary

self-identification form to help determine whether our programs and services

are reaching a diverse range of Canadian artists. Anyone applying to the

Canada Council for the Arts, participating on a peer assessment committee or

being nominated or accepting a prize is invited to complete this form.

2 Canada Council Self-Identification Form

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The Canada Council for the Arts aims to support a vital and diverse arts

ecology that enriches the lives of Canadians, and equity is a critical means to

achieve this. All citizens deserve to benefit from a vibrant, accessible and

pluralistic arts sector, and all creative expressions should have the same

chance to flourish.”

● You can implement similar data collection methods with similar languaging to

accompany audience surveys, volunteer forms, employment and/or board

recruitment, etc.

5. Communications Plan and Strategy

Clear communication strategies are important, not only in terms of recruitment, but in

developing new relationships, as well as establishing and maintaining trust.

● Key Areas to include in Communications Plans:

○ Festival Theme

○ Festival Guide

○ Newsletter

○ Social Media

○ Press Releases and Public Announcements

○ Funders

Additional Notes Regarding Communications Materials:

Festival Theme:

● The theme you select each year will communicate a great deal about the kinds of

artists and work you are seeking to uplift.

● There are many opportunities here to consult and engage communities in selecting

the chosen theme (ex: community consultations, social media campaigns, focus

groups, community callouts, working closely with individuals you already have

relationships with)

Festival Guide:

● Paying close attention to the imaging and wording in Festival Guides will be

significant.

● Design and original art for Festival Guides are another excellent opportunity to hire

and work with underrepresented artists.

6. EDI Policies, Practices and Operations

Highly recommend incremental revisions to the organization’s policies, practices and

operations with EDI. “Hardwiring” the organizations commitments to EDI will go a long way

to institutionalizing EDI and making the need for EDI policies and practices clear to staff and

board. This will also mean EDI will become more organically integrated into the short and

long term work and mission of the organization.

Recommendations and Possible Approaches:

● Create and clarify written documents laying out the organization’s EDI intentions,

objectives and measurements. Ensure documents are available to staff and board to

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review, understand and refer to. Update documents as needed to reflect changes in

practice or developing EDI objectives.

● Create and maintain mechanisms to measure equity achievements within the

organization, including assigning responsibilities to particular relevant staff and board

members to keep track of EDI objectives. Create and maintain transparency

regarding these mechanisms and measurements.

● Include and clarify EDI objectives within the organization’s mission statement, and

ensure the mission statement is known and understood by all staff and board.

● Include and clarify EDI objectives within organizational strategic goals, plans and

initiatives, and ensure staff and board have access to these strategic goals, plans

and initiatives.

● Offer training and resources for staff and board and institute this as a part of staff and

board commitments.

● Revise Board Recruitment and Hiring Policies and Procedures, taking time to ensure

committing to hiring and recruitment practices that prioritize EDI.

7. Moving Slowly, and Building Over Time

It’s clear there are no quick fix solutions for implementing EDI practices. While deliverables

and results are both necessary and desirable, it is important to stress the need to take things

slowly. Understanding the organization’s true intentions behind EDI work, and solidifying the

commitment to doing this work for the long term, requires pushing back against inclinations

for speedy and quick turnaround. Making this clear to the public, funders, and internally will

go a long way to ensuring the plans that get implemented, the relationships that develop,

and the new outcomes that emerge are generative, lasting and sustainable.

Additionally, normalizing “not knowing” and “not being there yet” can help with the

sustainability of this work. Since staff and board expressed concerns at the magnitude and

scope of EDI work. Recognizing this work as a long term initiative that builds upon itself may

ease some of these anxieties. Furthermore, rushing this work is a disservice to the time and

rigor it deserves and requires; premature efforts can generate new obstacles and conflict

with the communities Vancouver Fringe seeks to connect with.

8. Working with Consultant(s) to Implement EDI

Recommend ongoing work with consultants to assist with the understanding, crafting and

implementation of EDI. Marginalized and intersectional artists and communities require

different approaches to building relationships, and it is recommended that in order to

understand those approaches best, Vancouver Fringe works with consultants who have lived

experiences of the diverse identities and communities Fringe wishes to better serve.

9. Resources for Underrepresented Communities

Whether working with Consultants, hiring temporary or seasonal staff, or seeking to

collaborate with underrepresented and marginalized artists and communities, it is important

to adequately compensate people for their time and involvement. It will be important to

source and allocate resources to support the time, labour and expertise of the people you

seek to connect with.

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It is important for you to move away from free volunteers and temporary seasonal contract

staff as a means of ensuring diversity within the organization, and instead focus on

increasing the representation of diverse identities on the board and permanent staff. Relying

upon seasonal hires and volunteers as a way to fulfill expectations around diversity, and

further inclusion and equity, will trap the organization in a cycle of non-reciprocal and short

term relationships with diverse hires and volunteers. Committing to further bolstering

diversity within permanent staff and board levels will both prove a deeper commitment to

equity, and increase the experiential knowledgebase of the organization, which will only

strengthen the work you do.

Furthermore, it is imperative that you adequately provide support, resources, and financial

compensation to the marginalized people you work with. This work takes an inordinate

amount of emotional and mental labour for people that is often unaccounted for.

Outreach and Support

1. Community Consultations & Forums

We recommend hosting annual community consultations and forums, specifically leading up

to strategic planning sessions. This will help the organization to be informed of the

experiences and perceptions of the communities they desire to serve when creating new

strategic priorities for the year. The participants recruited should try to best reflect the

underrepresented communities Fringe wishes to engage.

2. Partnerships

Partnerships with other arts organizations that are doing similar work, and that expressly

serve marginalized artists and communities would be advantageous. These partnerships will

allow the organization to learn from others about what has worked and what hasn’t in terms

of serving diverse and marginalized artists, while also helping build relationships with the

communities and artists Fringe engages with.

Reciprocal partnerships with marginalized and underrepresented communities are equally

important and will take time, humility and care to foster. These partnerships may not

materialize quickly, as it takes continued efforts to show commitment and implementation of

EDI work and to establish trust.

3. Mentorship Opportunities & Programs

We recommend outreach to engage already experienced practicing artists from marginalized

and underrepresented communities, in order to support the work of emerging

underrepresented artists. Participants in the external audit cited that these kinds of

mentorship opportunities would be vital to their desire to participate in the Festival.

Mentorship opportunities could also be offered in other ways, including workshops and

mentorship for diverse artists who may not have access to resources and skills that

dominantly present artists find more easily accessible. This could involve tech support, or

Fringe crash course on festival logistics.

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One suggestion raised in a focus group was to offer the opportunity for first time Fringe

artists to apply to a one night only performance spotlight, where performances could be ten

minutes and several artists could be on the bill. This format would create less pressure for

first time artists and offer a platform for them to share their work.

4. Bursaries and Funding for Artists

A recurrent theme raised by underrepresented artists participating in focus groups. The need

for supported entry into the Festival is something that many underrepresented artists require

in order to make possible their participation in the festival. Consider sliding scale, reduced-

fee, and/or bursary programs. Further recommendations from the Focus Groups and Artist

Forum were to offer additional support for emerging artists and first time applicants to the

festival.

5. Developing Comprehensive Access Plans

There is a need to continue building a comprehensive access plan for the Festival. This

includes building upon existing resources and attention given to ASL and interpreting

services, physical access, washrooms, clear signage, childcare.

6. Long-term Outreach Strategy

Meaningful outreach takes time and relationship building. Like all the EDI work, but

especially regarding relationship development, it is significant to take a long term approach

and anticipate a slow process towards materializing results.

Diversity Lottery

Not This Year; Possibly Not at All

Given the concerns raised by the participants of our external audit, we do not recommend

implementing a Diversity Lottery for this year. Until measures are in place to adequately

support artists from diverse identities, a diversity lottery would be, as participants cited “a

bandaid solution” and could be merely an exercise in tokenism. A diversity lottery could be

seen as a shallow effort to try to solve a systemic problem of representation at the festival

alone, when in fact programming is reflective of broader inequities inherent within all aspects

of the organization. A lack of diverse representation onstage is only one aspect of

widespread inequity within the organization. Artists who would take part in the the Fringe as

a result of a diversity lottery would need specific support to follow. Without adequate support,

a Diversity Lottery may result in a tokenizing effort to include diverse artists in the Festival,

rather than a sustainable and committed effort to do so.

Additionally, there were a number considerations that arose from both Focus Groups and the

Artist Forum including: how applicants would self-identify, and potentially take advantage of

the diversity lottery; how to frame the application, and the organization not being ready with

the most respectful language to frame it. It is important that the necessary time be taken to

consider fully the impact and implications of a Diversity Lottery before moving forward.

EDI Phased Approach

It is very common with EDI initiatives for organizations and people to feel overwhelmed and

uncertain how to shape and implement. The following is a potential phased approach for

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Equity Diversity and Inclusion work. It is important to recognize that this is not a linear

process, and movement from Phase 1 to 6 is cyclical rather than linear, and sometimes

simultaneous (i.e. we are often working simultaneously on many phases, rather than cleanly

just on one at a time.

Phase 1: Where are WE?

● Understanding our current landscape

● Grasping the concepts, histories, ideas

● Sourcing & Allocating Budget, Time & Personnel

● Research & Education

○ Informal Approaches (Conversations, Sharing Resources, Informal

Gatherings)

○ Creative Approaches (Experimenting, Creative Mapping)

○ Education (Workshops, Trainings)

○ Formal Approaches (Audit)

Phase 2: Analysing What We Know & Preparing for What We Don’t

● Collecting and Analysing data and generating recommendations

Phase 3: Preparing For Action

● Sourcing Budget, Time & Personnel

● Sourcing external (contract/consulting) support

● Community Consultation

● Research

Phase 4: Strategic Visioning and Planning

● Planning and Visioning Sessions

● Drafting Plans

● Who, what, where, when, how to implement

● Timelines, Budget, Resources

Phase 5: Implementing

● Tackling policy, operations, programming, capacity building, communications

Phase 6: Evaluating

● Ongoing measures to evaluate

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VII. Appendix

Links

Canada Council Equity Commitments

http://canadacouncil.ca/commitments/equity

Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion

http://ccdi.ca/

Center for Racial Justice Innovation

https://www.raceforward.org/

CreateNYC Culture Plan

http://createnyc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/CreateNYC_Report_FIN.pdf

D5 Coalition Full Report: Equity Audits in arts funding: http://www.d5coalition.org/wp-

content/uploads/2013/09/PPP-Full-Report-11.14.13.pdf

Diversity in Mentoring

https://artofmentoring.net/diversity-in-mentoring/

Equity in Community Arts:

http://avnu.ca/avnu/uploads/2014/03/NeighbourhoodArtsNetwork_ArtsEquityToolkit1.pdf

Grantmakers in the Arts: Equity Statement

http://www.giarts.org/racial-equity-arts-philanthropy-statement-purpose

HR Diversity At Work Toolkit

http://hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/diversity-recruitment.cfm

Neighbourhood Arts Network; Arst & Equity Toolkit

http://avnu.ca/avnu/uploads/2014/03/NeighbourhoodArtsNetwork_ArtsEquityToolkit1.pdf

Ontario Arts Council Equity Commitments

http://www.arts.on.ca/access-equity/equity-plan

Race Reporting Guide by Race Forward

https://www.raceforward.org/sites/default/files/Race%20Reporting%20Guide%20by%20Rac

e%20Forward_V1.1.pdf

Toronto Arts Council

http://www.torontoartscouncil.org/reports-and-resources/toronto-arts-council-equity-

framework/equity-guiding-principles

USC Diversity Toolkit: A Guide to Discussing Identity, Power and Privilege

https://msw.usc.edu/mswusc-blog/diversity-workshop-guide-to-discussing-identity-power-

and-privilege/

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Glossary of Terms3

Anti-racism: The work of actively opposing racism by advocating for changes in political,

economic, and social life. Anti-racism tends to be an individualized approach, and set up in

opposition to individual racist behaviors and impacts.

Cultural Appropriation: Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural

expressions, or artifacts from someone else's culture without permission. This can include

unauthorized use of another culture's dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine,

traditional medicine, religious symbols, etc. It's most likely to be harmful when the source

community is a minority group that has been oppressed or exploited in other ways or when

the object of appropriation is particularly sensitive, e.g. sacred objects.

Culturally Diverse Arts Organizations: Organizations that demonstrate a sustained

commitment to the creation, production, distribution and/or collection of art by Canadian arts

professionals of African, Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern heritage, including those of

mixed racial heritage. This is reflected in its leadership, arts professionals employed and

artistic activities. These organizations are mandated and dedicate a majority of their

resources to supporting the perspectives, stories and arts practices of arts professionals

from these culturally diverse communities.

● Culturally Specific – arts organizations that are rooted in racialized communities and

are led by and dedicate a significant majority (75%) of their resources to supporting

the arts practices by culturally diverse artists.

● Intercultural – arts organizations that are mandated and dedicate the majority (at

least 51%) of resources to supporting and collaborating with culturally diverse artists.

Deaf: People with hearing loss, or are hard-of-hearing, oral-deaf, deaf-blind or late-

deafened, many of whom identify as Culturally Deaf- sharing distinct sign languages,

traditions, histories and values. Deaf with a capital “D” represents a range of experiences

from being culturally Deaf to having hearing loss, and using multiple forms of oral and visual

communication. Sign languages are regionally and culturally specific with unique syntax and

grammar, distinct from written and spoken languages. Individuals may identify as having a

disability rather than being culturally Deaf.

Disability: Disability is an experience of exclusion or disadvantage. People with disabilities

are those with actual or perceived impairments who experience discrimination and

disadvantage as a direct result of that impairment, or due to social, policy or environmental

barriers. Impairments are physical, mental or learning conditions that have long-term,

temporary or fluctuating effects.

Disability Arts: Disability arts are created by people with disabilities or with mental illness.

This includes artistic practices and processes grounded in ensuring that the lived

experiences and identities of disabled people are conveyed, explored or represented. This

typically means that disabled artists are directors, creators or main contributors to the artistic

process.

3 Many of these terms come from definitions come from:

Race Reporting guide by Race Forward & Canada Council Equity.

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Diversity: There are many kinds of diversity, based on race, gender, sexual orientation,

class, age, country of origin, education, religion, geography, physical, or cognitive abilities.

Valuing diversity means recognizing differences between people, acknowledging that these

differences are a valued asset, and striving for diverse representation as a critical step

towards equity.

Equity: Equity means fairness and justice and focuses on outcomes that are most

appropriate for a given group, recognizing different challenges, needs, and histories. It is

distinct from diversity, which can simply mean variety (the presence of individuals with

various identities). It is also not equality, or “same treatment,” which doesn’t take differing

needs or disparate outcomes into account. Systemic equity involves a robust system and

dynamic process consciously designed to create, support and sustain social justice.

Inclusion: Being included within a group or structure. More than simply diversity and

quantitative representation, inclusion involves authentic and empowered participation, with a

true sense of belonging and full access to opportunities.

Mad: Mad is a term which has emerged from the Mad Pride movement. This is a global

grassroots movement of people who have been labeled “mentally ill” or as having mental

health issues. At the core, madness is being framed in terms of identity similar to the ways

in which Deaf and disability are being reframed. Mad Pride Toronto states,“we are talking

about mad people as a people… As mad people, we have unique ways of experiencing the

world, making meaning, developing community, and creating culture.”

Mad Arts: The Canada Council recognizes mad arts within the overall Disability Arts sector.

Mad is framed as a social and political identity by people who have been labeled as mentally

ill or as having mental health issues. Rather than focusing on awareness and coping with

stigma, Mad Pride focuses on expressing the unique ways people experience the world in

terms of making meaning, developing communities, and creating culture. Mad arts is the

artistic exploration of Mad Pride focusing on mad histories and identities.

Multicultural: Involving various cultures in a society, usually with intent to promote

tolerance, inclusion, and equal respect for cultural diversity. Does not include an explicit

racial lens. Multiculturalism often focuses on interpersonal interaction and communication

between people of different cultures rather than a systemic approach to advance equity.

Racial & ethnic categories: System of organizing people into groups based on their

identified race and ethnicity, with categories that may change over time. Data is derived from

self-identification questions; however, people often do not get to select the categories from

which they must choose, making most methods of categorizing and counting highly political

and often problematic. See the section Covering Key Issues “Reporting on Racial And Ethnic

Groups.”

Racial justice: The systematic fair treatment of people of all races, resulting in equitable

opportunities and outcomes for all. Racial justice—or racial equity—goes beyond “anti-

racism.” It is not just the absence 31 of discrimination and inequities, but also the presence

of deliberate systems and supports to achieve and sustain racial equity through proactive

and preventative measures.

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“Reverse racism”: A concept based on a misunderstanding of what racism is, often used to

accuse and attack efforts made to rectify systemic injustices. Every individual can be

prejudiced and biased at one time or another about various people and behaviors, but

racism is based on power and systematic oppression. Individual prejudice and systemic

racism cannot be equated. Even though some people of color hold powerful positions, White

people overwhelmingly hold the most systemic power. The concept of “reverse racism”

ignores structural racism, which permeates all dimensions of our society, routinely

advantaging White people and disadvantaging people of color. It is deeply and historically

entrenched and in no danger of being dismantled or “reversed” any time soon.

Systemic analysis: A systemic analysis means we are examining the root causes and the

mechanisms at play that result in patterns. It involves looking beyond individual speech,

acts, and practices to the larger structures — organizations, institutions, traditions, and

systems of knowledge.

Tokenism:Tokenism is presence without meaningful participation. For example, a superficial

invitation for participation without ongoing dialogue and support, handpicked representatives

who are expected to speak for the whole (socially oppressed) group (e.g. ‘tell us how women

experience this issue’). Tokenism is often used as a band-aid solution to help the group

improve its image (e.g. ‘we’re not racist, look there’s a person of colour on the panel.’).

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Calls For Participation

The Fringe Festival: Is it for me?

Call for Focus Group Participants:

Performing Artists Who Have Never Participated in the Vancouver Fringe Festival

Background: The Vancouver Fringe Festival was founded in 1985 with a mandate of “Theatre for

Everyone.” The use of a first-come first served artist selection process was intended to favour artists

who may not have the opportunity to participate in the theatre practice of the establishment. Over 30

years later, we are aware that we may be in danger of cultivating a “Fringe establishment.” Although

we have maintained a non-curated, non-adjudicated, selection process, we are aware that our modes of

communication, production and presentation have resulted in a festival where the majority of artists

are white and come from euro-centric theatre traditions. Although we have participation from artists

of colour, women, disability and LGBT2SQ+ artists, we seek to understand our lack of diversity more

deeply. In doing so we aim to develop strategies to affect long term systemic change within our

organization and in turn the wider theatre community.

Context: The Vancouver Fringe Festival is working with ShapeShift Arts to conduct a diversity audit,

in addition to capacity building and strategic planning towards organizational systemic change. We

hope to create a model that not only serves us, but other arts organizations who are committed to

diversity and equity. As part of this process, we seek to connect with performing artists who have

never participated in the festival (as artists, volunteers, or staff). This includes folks who work

in/with performance and theatre-making of all kinds, and does not only mean those who identify as

“Professionals.”

What: There will be 3 focus groups with 8-12 participants each. Participants will discuss their artistic

practice, and in particular, their relationship (or lack thereof) with the Vancouver Fringe Festival. We

will explore what is known/perceived about the festival, what barriers there are to participation, and

what artists want/need to be able to participate in future.

Who: These focus groups are designed for folks who are currently underrepresented in the Vancouver

Fringe Festival, including LGBT2SQ+ folks; indigenous, black and people of colour; folks living with

disabilities; low income artists and artists living at the intersections of these identities.

When:

August 28th 5:30-7:30pm

September 1st 10am-12pm

September 2nd 12pm-2pm

Where:

The Post, 750 Hamilton Street

Details: Participants will receive a $50 honorarium as well as 4 tickets for the 2017 Vancouver Fringe

Festival

Accessibility Info:

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● We have ASL interpretation booked for all three sessions, based on confirmed need. If you

require ASL interpretation, please indicate in the registration form and/or contact us by the

registration deadline of August 21st, 2017.

● The Post is accessible for folks using mobility devices, and has an accessible gender neutral

bathroom on site (detailed access information to be provided on registration)

● There are three additional gender neutral bathrooms available on site

● The venue we are using is a multi-use space, and we cannot guarantee that it will be entirely

scent-free. However, we are committed to providing a scent-reduced environment and will

send out detailed information regarding scents to all registered participants

How to Sign Up: To sign up, register here, or please call or email us at:__________________.

Registration entails completing the registration form (which can be done online or over the phone),

and closes on August 21st, 2017.

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Fringe Artists: Is the Fringe Your Festival?

Artists Forum: Addressing Diversity and Equity in the Fringe

For Performing Artists in the Vancouver Fringe Festival

Background: The Vancouver Fringe Festival was founded in 1985 with a mandate of “Theatre for

Everyone.” The use of a first come, first served artist selection process was intended to favour artists

who may not have the opportunity to participate in the theatre practice of the establishment. Over 30

years later, we are aware that we may be in danger of cultivating a “Fringe establishment.” Although

we have maintained a non-curated, non-adjudicated, selection process, we are aware that our modes of

communication, production and presentation have resulted in a festival where the majority of artists

are white and come from euro-centric theatre traditions. Although we have participation from artists

of colour, women, disability, and LGBT2SQ+ artists, we seek to understand our lack of diversity

more deeply. In doing so we aim to develop strategies to affect long term systemic change within our

organization and in turn the wider theatre community.

Context: The Vancouver Fringe Festival is working with ShapeShift Arts to conduct a diversity audit,

in addition to capacity building and strategic planning towards organizational systemic change. We

hope to create a model that not only serves us, but other arts organizations who are committed to

diversity and equity. As part of this process, we are hosting an Artists Forum for

Artists/Producers who have been in the Fringe Festival. This includes artists/producers who have

been in the Festival in years past, as well as artists/producers participating this year.

What: The Artists Forum will be an opportunity to explore what it is/was like for you as an

artist/producer to be involved with the Festival. We want to know how it’s all been going. What’s

working? What’s been challenging? And how can we better support our artists moving forward?

Who: This Forum is for artists/producers who have participated in the Fringe Festival. This includes

artists from years past, and artists/producers in this year’s festival.

When:

September 12, 11am-1pm

Where:

Studio 1398 - 1398 Cartwright St.

Accessibility Info:

The venue is accessible for folks using mobility devices.

We will have ASL interpretation at this event.

Let Us Know You’re Coming:

Please RSVP: ____________________

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Interview Questions

Diversity Audit: Internal Organization For Staff & Board

Questions for the Interview:

1. What do you think about this Diversity Audit? What do you think we are here to do? What do

you hope we will discover? What do you hope for the outcome?

2. What does diversity mean to you?

3. Are you familiar with the term Equity? Can you tell us about what you think Equity is about

and why it is significant to your organization, or why it is not?

4. Do you think your organization embodies your vision of a diverse workplace? Please explain.

5. In what areas do you think your organization has been effective in promoting diversity in the

workplace?

6. What areas do you think need improvement?

7. What do you see as obstacles to diversity in your organization?

8. What do you see as strengths of your organization in terms of diversity?

9. How would you say your organization builds relationships? Are you successful at building

relationships?

10. How do you see your role as responsible for contributing to diversity and equity?

11. What support or training do you feel you need in the equity or better

understanding/implementing diversity objectives?

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Questions for Focus Group Participants:

1. Describe your performance practice

2. How would you describe your audience demographic?

3. What is your perception of Fringe performance styles? What kind of performances do

you think the Fringe hosts?

4. Does your performance practice align with this, why or why not?

5. When you hear the Fringe is for Everyone, what comes up for you?

6. Do you have any desire to bring your performance work to the fringe? Why or Why

not?

7. If no, what would make you want to engage with the Fringe festival?

8. What are your perceived barriers for applying to work with the Fringe?

9. The Fringe wants to address the issue of”Lottery” and are considering the idea of

having priority spaces reserved for “diverse” artists that apply. How does this make

you feel? Would this make you more or less likely to apply?

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Fringe Artist Forum 2017

1. What first brought you to the Fringe?

2. What were some of the things that were easy or challenging?

3. Do you feel there is a “Fringe Community”? Do you feel a part of it? Why/whynot?

4. What kinds of shows are you seeing?

5. What kinds of shows do you wish you were seeing?

6. Do you feel like you’ve had enough support/mentorship? If not, what kind of support

would you like in the future?

7. If you are returning, what encouraged you to do so? How was the process the

second time around?

8. What was your experience with the Fringe Staff?

9. What was your experience with the Fringe Volunteers?

10. What was your experience with Fringe Techs and Venues?

11. If this is not your first Fringe, was the Fringe profitable for you?

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Questionnaire

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