Inclusion and diversity are really important core values to me and my work. I want culture to make spaces where anyone can feel like they are valid, important members of society regardless of factors in their life like age, disability, race, class, gender, sexuality, neurodiversity etc…
That’s why it’s so important to make a note of how people interact with your work, and try and identify any unconscious biases that may be affecting the inclusivity. This became particularly apparent during the recent performances of a project I am producing, I am Echoborg.
This is a participatory theatre piece, where the audience interact with an AI through a human avatar, or ‘Echoborg’. As the piece relies heavily on audience members volunteering for the one-on-one interactions, it’s really interesting to note that these volunteers are overwhelmingly male. Why is this? Are men more naturally confident, or does society give them more permission to voice their opinions? What can we do to make women feel more welcome to share their opinions and put themselves forward as volunteers in situations like this?
The same goes for any other demographics, though it can often be less obvious to tell if someone has an invisible disability or is neurodiverse, what sexuality they identify as or what class group they belong to. I think it’s important to embed accessibility and inclusion in the creative and practical conversations throughout the project, and be sure to keep our own privileges and biases in mind. A diverse production team can really help with managing and identifying these biases, as it can be so hard to spot them in yourself.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, and how you overcome these issues in your own work. Feel free to hit me up for a chat if you want to discuss!