The 35//50 Initiative has invited Pyretic Productions alongside other professional theatre companies across Alberta to commit to representing Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton)’s civic landscape by hiring a minimum of 35% BIPOC & 50% women and non-binary people in paid professional positions by 2025. This initiative asks organizations to begin to track the numbers of their administrative and artistic team who identify as BIPOC, and those who identify as women or non-binary people.
Pyretic Productions is thrilled to publicly commit to this important initiative. We are also committing to an ongoing process of reviewing, examining, and actively integrating an anti-racist approach into our theatre practice. As part of our review process, we have collected statistics from our past professional theatre productions and are happy to share them as a step toward increased transparency. To continue this data collection process, for all future productions Pyretic will survey the participating artists so individuals may self-identify in terms of racial and specific gender identity. This data will continue to be shared on our website, including data that examines specific gender identities.
We understand that this is only the beginning. We look forward to continuing to integrate the values and principles of the 35//50 initiative. We are committed to a long term, ongoing learning process and doing the work to examine how we can actively dismantle systemic racism in both the theatre community and in our personal artistic practices in a meaningful way. Our commitment will be posted on our website, along with our ongoing stats and links to local anti-racist resources and initiatives.
We thank the 35//50 initiative for this invitation to engage in such an important endeavour. We encourage all professional and independent theatre companies across Alberta to examine their Calls to Action and take part in an open conversation about systemic racism in our artistic community.
Read more about the 35//50 Initiative’s Call to Action here: http://tiny.cc/7h6ysz
This is an ongoing list of resources for our community! Have a link you think we should add? Please let us know at pyretic.theatre@gmail.com
35//50 Initiative’s Call to Action here: http://tiny.cc/7h6ysz
Black Lives Matter Edmonton: https://blmyeg.ca/
Edmonton Black Owned Businesses: https://west.afrobiz.ca/Edmonton
Pekiwewin Camp, Edmonton: https://pekiwewin.com/
City of Edmonton Anti-Racism Advisory Committee: https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_organization/anti-racism-advisory-committee.aspx
Province of Alberta Anti-Racism Advisory Committee: https://www.alberta.ca/anti-racism-advisory-council.aspx
Edmonton Public Library – How to Be Anti-Racist: https://epl.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1077576827/1650450019
Edmonton Anti-Racist Toolkit: https://www.bashirmohamed.com/blog/2020/6/2/edmontontoolkit?fbclid=IwAR1a5TfPDw4bXA0pgUKT6XwzIx-cHXIeMi9kQPNn6aCuyRB57rSYmU9Vcf4
Ukrainian Anti-Racist Community: https://www.ukrainianantiracistcommunity.com/
End Poverty Edmonton: https://www.endpovertyedmonton.ca/eliminate-racism