On a systemic level, we are revisiting, acting on, and adding to the following public commitments we outlined in 2020.
Within the Festival, we will continue or begin the follow work:
Host moderated anti-racism convenings with permanent and temporary staff that focus on how our anti-racism values should show up in our work, encouraging individual responsibility on how we can embed the work into our everyday practices.
Establish an anti-racist vision for strategic planning that focuses more on how we do the work rather what on what we accomplish, with input from anti-racism coach.
Represent and engage the diversity in the communities of New Haven as our frame for board member recruitment and racially diversify committee leadership positions.
Offer ongoing capacity building for staff including paid consultations and trainings in racial justice with established programs focused on decentering whiteness.
Ensure that staff hired in both temporary and permanent positions are fully aware of and express their support for the Festival’s anti-racism commitments.
Establish a channel for artists and temporary staff to report incidents before, during, and after performances; foster a working environment in which individuals feel safe sharing concerns with Festival leadership.
In the Community, we will both continue and begin to:
Dedicate time and resources to support the visions and leadership of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, South Asian, and People of Color in arts administration and curatorial positions.
Seek out and respond positively to partnership opportunities in the arts and culture sector that align with the anti-racist values and intentions of the Festival.
Develop channels of direct communication with our communities to ensure that we are held accountable in our antiracism work.
Reviewing our practices for welcoming artists into our performances spaces and ensuring that we are meeting their needs
The International Festival of Arts & Ideas recognizes that solidarity is more than just words, and in our commitment to anti-racism we commit to action that de-centers white voices and dismantles white supremacy. The above are the immediate steps we commit to taking in this ongoing work; we will update you on this work as we continue moving toward racial equity.
Above all, we will continue to acknowledge what we do not know and to listen to our community as we strive to do better.
Thank you for holding the Festival accountable.
Shelley Quiala, Executive Director
The International Festival of Arts & Ideas stands with Black Lives Matter and with countless citizens in our own city and across the country who are outraged by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, and who exercise their right to protest the systemic racism at the root of police violence. Racial justice is imperative. Black lives matter at all times. Police violence is unacceptable and silence in the face of injustice is intolerable.
The Festival stands in solidarity with Black and Brown communities who are targeted and abused by unjust systems of oppression.
The Festival stands in solidarity with the communities, artists, and speakers with whom we collaborate, and we pledge that our support extends beyond our performance dates. We will do everything we can to help dismantle systematic racism, and we raise our voices with those in our community who are already engaged in this vital work.
We see you. We are with you. We commit to working alongside you to create transformative change in New Haven.
El Festival Internacional de Arte e Ideas se une al movimiento Black Lives Matter y a un sinnúmero de personas en nuestra propia ciudad y a lo largo del país, en profunda indiganción por el asesinato de George Floyd, Breonna Taylor y Ahmaud Arbery, y en ejercicio de nuestro derecho a la protesta en contra de la violencia y el racismo sitemáticos por parte de la policía. La justicia racial es imperativa. Las vidas negras importan siempre. La violencia policial es inaceptable, y el silencio frente a la injusticia resulta intolerable.
El Festival se solidariza con las comunidades negras y de color, quienes son sujeto de abuso por parte de un sistema injusto y opresor.
Asimismo el Festival se solidariza con las comunidades, artistas y conferencistas con quienes trabajamos en colaboración. Nuestro compromiso con todxs ellxs se extiende más allá de las fechas de sus respectivas presentaciones. Como Festival haremos todo lo que esté a nuestro alcance para terminar con el racismo sistemático, y unimos nuestras voces a la de quienes en nuestra comunidad se han comprometido con esta lucha.
Podemos verte. Estamos contigo. Nos comprometemos a trabajar junto a ti por un cambio transformativo en New Haven.
The International Festival of Arts & Ideas recognizes that solidarity is more than just words, and in our commitment to anti-racism we pledge to take action to decenter white voices and dismantle white supremacy. The following are the first steps we commit to taking in this ongoing work. Above all, we pledge to acknowledge what we do not yet know and to continue learning. We will develop a channel of direct communication with our communities to ensure that we are held accountable in this vital work.
The International Festival of Arts & Ideas commits to:
