Ours To Do

Dear Statera Community,

We have work to do. Period. And we are honored to learn and pivot in community with you. As we enter our final month of the 2020 class of Statera Mentorship we continue to amplify voices from the Statera community and beyond, offer resources and avenues for connection, and advocate for holistic creative environments where people -- indeed more women, can show up whole. Additionally, the Statera team is riveted to practicing this work within, beginning with continued, generative dialogue and deep listening to honor the experiences and needs of our internal and community-based Statera team.

In the midst of the unanticipated and collective halt of our entire sector due to COVID-19, we are intentionally making space for immediate, individual and collective deep learning and change. Important work continues to ensure that Statera emerges in wholeness and equity at all levels of operation. 

As such, we have initiated the following plan of action:  

30 days: Listening and Learning
Statera initiates thoughtful pause; individual EDI training and learning; research for team EDI training; internal listening tour continues 

60 days: Expanded Listening, Learning, and Identification
Statera expands the listening tour to community-based leaders and stakeholders; Statera begins team and Board EDI training and learning

90 days: Identification, Strategy & Planning
Identify EDI training resources for Statera community leaders; engage a compensated Community Task Force

These are just some of the points of our highest curiosity and interest: 

• Unearth and address individual and team biases

• Learn and take direct action to make Statera an anti-racist environment

• Prepare all Statera team, Board, and volunteers with Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion training

• Interrogate Statera’s reliance on non-profit volunteerism 

• Identify ways to enact clear boundaries and scope of work, given and received by passionate and creative volunteers 

• Proceed in right-relationship with one another and with the Statera community at large 

We are committed to being an organization where equity and support exist at the core of our own operations, toward a future of true balance in the arts sector at large. 

In Statera, (balance) 

Melinda Pfundstein
Co-founding Executive Director

Sabrina Cofield
Development Director

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The above message was originally shared in our August newsletter.

Artist Resources: Statera Responds to COVID-19

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March 13, 2020

Dear Statera Community,

As the impact of COVID-19 becomes more wide-reaching, we activate around the specific threat to those whose livelihoods depend on the arts. In addition to the effects on work weeks, dollars, and jobs, we recognize the impact on community for those in containment situations, and out of work. Statera continues to advocate on behalf of artists everywhere. Here are a few specific avenues for proactive support:

• Immediate support: Statera has compiled an Emergency Response Resource Directory with links to financial support, advocacy channels, and more.

• Advocacy: Let your voice be heard with those advocating for Congress to keep the arts at the forefront of relief and support decisions.

• Readiness: ArtsReady is “an online emergency preparedness service by and for arts/cultural nonprofits with customized business continuity plans for post-crisis sustainability.”

• Community: Disrupting isolation in coming weeks is paramount. We encourage you to connect via Statera’s virtual community like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. In addition, Statera will offer multiple virtual community opportunities for Mentorship, Membership, and SWAN communities in the coming month.

Above all, we recognize that physical distance does not need to mean loss or distance of community. We continue to innovate around ways to support this community during this time and beyond.

Yours,

Melinda Pfundstein, Executive Director
& The Statera Team

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Artist Resources

Advocacy for Freelance Artists & Arts Organizers

• Covid 19 Freelance Aritst Resources, a co-created list facilitated by Hannah Fenlon, Ann Marie Lonsdale, Abigail Vega.

• Resources for the Artist Organization Field, a co-created word doc facilitated by Common Field

Social Justice Action

• Additional Resources for Facing Coronavirus by adrienne maree brown

• Art Became the Oxygen: An Artistic Response Guide created by the US Dept. of Arts & Culture (USDAC)

• Caring Accross Distance: Some Things to Consider Before Movement Gatherings During COVID-19 by Maryse Mitchell-Brody

• Coronavirus: Wisdom from a Social Justice Lens via Healing Justice

• COVID-19 Preparedness for the Arts Sector via the National Coalition for Arts Preparedness & Emergency Response

• Performing Arts Alliance, the national policy advocate, leadership forum, and learning network for America’s nonprofit performing arts organizations, artists, and allies.

For Artists who are Caregivers

• Care for your Caronavirus Anxiety via Shine Self-Care Community

• Centering People with Chronic Illness via Chronic Illness Leadership for Emergent Times (CILET)

• Supporting Artists with Families in Our COVID-19 Plans via Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL)

TRAVEL & VISA INformation FOR ARTISTS

• How the current travel bans will affect artists via Artists From Abroad

• International Artist Visa Processeing via The Performing Arts Alliance

Funding for Artists

• Comprehensive List of Funding Opportunities from 3Arts

• Emergency Grants – Foundation for Contemporary Arts 

• Emergency Grants – New York Foundation for the Arts for visual artists

• Emergency Grants – Rauschenberg Foundation 

• Emergency Grants – WomenArts 

• Emergency Relief Programs – Alliance of Artist Communities

• Emergency Grants for Visual Artists, a comprehensive list with tips

• AGMA Relief Fund, administered by The Actor’s Fund

• Actors Fund Emergency Financial Assistance (not just for actors)

• CERF+ Artist Safety Net focusing on craft artists

• Shade Literary Arts Queer Writers of Color Relief Fund 

• Local 802 Emergency Relief for musicians

• The National Writers Union Freelance Solidarity Project for writers

• I Lost My Gig

• PEN America Writers Emergency Fund for writers

• Emergency Grants – Dramatists Guild Foundation

• Emergency Funding – CERF + The Artists Safety Net

• MusiCares, a fund by The Grammys

• Missed Tour, merch for sale to support musicians

• Musicians Foundation Emergency Fund for musicians

• Sweet Relief Musicians Fund

BEST PRACTICES FOR ONLINE TEACHING, LEARNING, and GATHERING

• Accessible Teaching in the Time of COVID-19 via Mapping Access

• Distance Learning Tips via NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study

• Resources for Moving Dance-Based Pedagogy Online via Dance Studies Association

• Remote Teaching Resources a spreadsheet managed by Daniel Stanford, Director of Faculty Development & Technology Innovation, Center for Teaching and Learning, DePaul University

• Teaching Theatre Online: A Shift in Pedagogy Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak by Dr. Daphnie Sicre, Loyola Marymount University

• Teaching Theatre in an Online Format, a 21-min video offering from Michael Rohd, teacher, director, Founding Artistic Director of Sojourn Theatre Company and member of the Center for Performance and Civic Practice.

• “Ways of Gathering In the Age of COVID-19” via HowlRound

Local Resources & INfo

• BATON ROUGE Arts Council creative relief for artists during COVID-19

• MISSISSIPPI Arts Commission COVID-19 resources for the Arts Sector

• NEW YORK CITY Small Business Services Assistance and Guidance During COVID-19

• NEW YORK CITY CultureAID, a collaborative network committed to strengthening NYC’s cultural community before, during, and after disasters.

• NEW YORK STATE Council on the Arts resouces for Arts & Cultural Organizations

• SEATTLE Artist Relief Fund facilitated by Ijeoma Oluo

• SOUTH CAROLINA Arts COVID-19 Response

• WASHINGTON STATE Arts Commission is posting daily updates on COVID-19

• WEST COAST: GoFundMe Supporting Performing Artists

The #StateraWorkWeek: What's Working

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Last week StateraArts issued a bold call-to-action: transform the theatre work-week. Statera’s call to action is an invitation to interrogate and disrupt outdated scheduling practices and implement humane work week processes that support everyone in the theatre work force.

In the past few days, hundreds of theatre makers, arts administrators and leaders have responded to Statera’s call and pledged their support. They’ve also shared their stories on social media using the #StateraWorkWeek and #BalanceTheatreWorkWeek hashtags. They’ve shared strategies, successful policies, and exciting ideas about how to affect change in the American Theatre. Today, we’re sharing a few of those stories with more to follow in the weeks to come!

SOLUTIONS from the industry

“I am the Artistic Director of MN based Collide Theatrical Dance Company. We have a Parents in the Arts program that offers free onsite childcare to all our artists during rehearsals and performances. The childcare providers are all recent graduates of the Guthrie BFA program who are pursuing a performing career. We rehearse Monday- Friday 10-4 so that our artists can spend evenings and weekends with their families.” - Regina Peluso

“Minnesota Opera just tried a 5-day rehearsal week, with a half day of work, but no rehearsal (fittings, coaching Music work). This also allowed for the stage management team (of which I’m a member) to have a full work day uninterrupted to be dedicated to desk time for paperwork, meetings, etc. I will continue to champion the need for this schedule through the season at this company, and at future companies I take my work to.” - Jerry K Smith

Technicians for Change is an organization whose mission is to educate, connect, and empower entertainment technicians on workers rights and protections including reasonable pay, safer practices, and legal worker classification. Technicians for Change is actively engaging with theaters centered in Minneapolis area, gathering information about their work practices, and innovating around the nature of the theatre work-week. Connect with them HERE.

“I am one of the founders of the Re-Imagine LA Theatre Initiative, and we stand for these important changes on top of an end to wage theft in no-pay and low-pay stage work.” - Kyle Nudo

“No artist should be excluded from their art because they have chosen to have a family. At InBocca Performance, children are welcome, partners are welcome, and we create a space that is inclusive of the needs of working mothers/fathers/grandparents and other caregivers.” - Caroline Stine

“Red Octopus Theater Company has always allowed my son at rehearsals. We are always done by 9pm and are never called to rehearsal if we are not working a scene we are in. There is a full kitchen in the green room for anyone who didn't have time between work and rehearsal for meals.” - Miranda Carter

“We end rehearsals at 10, implement daytime rehearsals whenever possible and "pre-tech" the show without actors and crew (just director, lighting designer and stage manager). We put limits on rehearsal hours for directors of staged readings. Often we rehearse five days rather than six. The educational component of our theatre (classes and productions) operates by the same guidelines.” - Suzy Newman

“Pawling Theatre Exchange offer space for artistic entities in by handing them the keys and let them dictate their work schedule -- 24 hour access. We offer an extra dorm room and meals for parents/caregivers at a reduced cost. Our rehearsals for new works are 3-4 hours for the actors, allowing for the playwright/director team to work outside of the rehearsal time and to dictate their own schedule. Our spaces are all accessible.” - Tracy Liz Miller

Solutions from Training Institutions

“I have done away with the traditional Sunday Strikes. They devalue people's weekend time for a ritualized and unnecessary post closing decompression. Night work calls are prohibited in my theatres and shops. We refuse to work 10 out of 12s, even if it is the "professional standard". All technical rehearsals must happen within the confines of a 9 hour call that will include at least 45 minutes for a meal break and two 10 minute breaks.” - Zachary Stribling, University of Kentucky

“Many of our students have jobs and families to support as well as full time school schedules as well as the more obvious challenges of keeping body and soul together financially, many students of color do not feel safe rehearsing at night. I am now committed to finishing rehearsals by 9:00 and instituting afternoon and and early evening rehearsals where I can.” - Molly Noble, College of Marin

“We work in developmental stages over longer stretches (months) rather than the standard 4 weeks crunch when creating a new original piece.” -  Kate Amory, Berklee College of Music

“As a professor at Rowan University I have changed the six day a rehearsal week structure to guarantee a weekend day OFF so students can be people too. We are seeking a new standardized structure to support health and wellbeing for all!” - Michael Dean Morgan, Rowan University

“I took over the Neosho County Community College Theatre Department in 2018, and immediately made some changes.

1. Rehearsal are from 2-5pm, instead of 7-10. This means students including non-trads have their evenings free and can more easily maintain their coursework and a work/life balance with proper sleep.

2. Tech week is 2-5pm and 6-10pm. Dinner break is included and respected. Healthy snacks are provided. We always end at 10pm so proper sleep can happen.

3. We have clear and frequently stated inclusive and anti-racist policies.

4. We have limited Saturday calls and do five day work weeks as much as possible. When students are called on Saturday, both breakfast and lunch are provided. The entire production schedule is handed out at the beginning of each semester.” Tricia Stogsdill, Neosho County Community College

Individual Theatre Workers Respond

“As a freelancer, I’ve built into my schedule at least one day off per week. Even that can be hard to maintain and still make a living as one has to bounce from job to job. However I am going to be making an effort to increase my time off to two days a week regularly. Additionally, I will be keeping track of my hours specifically to show general managers what they are asking of their employees.” - Jeffrey Salerno

“I am a sound and projection designer. One of the most successful tech weeks I had was alternating 10/12s and 10am-6pm.” - Sadah Proctor

“My director has been trying to get us out of rehearsal an hour early the past few days. We've also done a few straight sixes, so that even on days when we have a production meeting, we will still be done by 5PM and home in time for a normal dinner and evening routine.” - Brianna Roche

PLEDGE TO TRANSFORM THE THEATRE WORK WEEK

Transforming the theatre work-week is essential to the health of our industry. Our work-force deserves better. They deserve to show up to this work as a whole human being. There is not a one-size-fits-all answer, but together we can affect serious change in the industry.

Commit to Statera’s call-to-action to balance the theatre work-week and let us know how we can support you by filling out the form on call to action! Thank you!

#StateraWorkWeek
#BalanceTheatreWorkWeek

The Theatre Work Week: StateraArts Calls for Industry-Wide Change

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Call to Action

StateraArts is calling for a fundamental shift in the American Theater: we need to transform the work-week.

Tell me more

Statera’s call-to-action isn't about needing larger budgets or more time, but is centered on how we choose to treat each other. The theatre work force, like all work forces, must be treated with dignity and compassion. Odd hours, long hours, short breaks, and zero flexibility upholds an industry-wide ethos of expendability and maintains supremacy structures. Statera’s call to action is an invitation to interrogate and disrupt outdated scheduling practices and implement humane work week processes that support everyone in the theatre work force.

We believe in Nataki Garrett’s assertion “that one can stay in this field, build a powerhouse organization and make your life meaningful at the same time.” But how can we serve the art form we love, grow healthy organizations, and maintain a sense of balance in our home life? Let’s start with the schedule.

Melinda Pfundstein, Statera’s Co-Founding Executive Director, spoke to this issue during her opening address on October 26th at Statera’s National Conference in NYC:

“We ask people to be the best innovators, the most creative beings, and make or facilitate great and meaningful art. We also normalize rehearsal schedules that keep us at the theatre late into the night, 6 days a week, opposite the schedules of children and partners, family dinners, or of volunteer or community engagement opportunities -- indeed, the very sources of our humanity. We glorify that strung-out, “I can’t, I have tech” mentality. As if everything else just goes away. If the goal is to do art by and for more people, then we must normalize a humane and holistic creative environment that nourishes innovation, where people can show up as their whole selves. It is time to ask, ‘why do we do the things we do?’”

During her keynote address at Statera’s National Conference, May Adrales (Associate Artistic Director of Milwaukee Rep) addressed the false assumption that the theatre must operate in way that denies access to parents and care-givers:

“But we work in the theater – Working 10 out of 12 hours and 6 out of 7 days a week is a REQUIREMENT isn’t it? But a few people are changing the system. Susan Booth at The Alliance ends her tech rehearsals at 10pm and everyone on her team is just on their game, focused and putting in quality work."

CHANGE IS LONG OVERDUE

This call to action is not new, but it is time. StateraArts echoes those who’ve made this call before and we honor those organizations that are already implementing changes.

In December 2015 American Theatre, featured an excellent article by Celia Wren, “How Theatres Are Supporting Work/Life Balance,” that describes steps being taken at certain theatres and artist residencies. In her Theatre Bay Area article “Parent Artists’ Childcare Challenges”, Lisa Drostova offers some outside-of-the-box solutions for theatres looking to create a more holistic approach to supporting artists who are also care-givers.

We were very pleased to see last month's announcement from the National Theatre (UK) that they are entering a year-long trial period that will restrict 50% of their rehearsal periods to five days a week and limit the amount of time performers are called on Saturdays. This is the kind of creative thinking we are hoping to inspire across the country. 

The theatre is a people-powered industry, which means that forward movement is within our reach! We recognize that some of these changes will require innovative solutions and creative, open-hearted negotiations between workers, employers, and unions. We can do this.

There are many ways to affect positive change and create greater access in your rehearsal and tech process. Not all solutions are schedule-based, but they all benefit the personal schedules of your work force and highlight their value to the organization.

Schedule-Based Solutions

• 5-day work-week (like the one at True Colors Theatre Company)

• Increase number of tech days, reduce hours per day (as they do at East West Players)

• Scale back Saturday rehearsals (like at the National Theatre)

• Flex-time policy for staff (like the one at True Colors Theatre Company)

• Offer company members childcare during production (as does the Utah Shakespeare Festival)

• Day-time rehearsal options (as does the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival)

• Eliminate the 10 out of 12 (or at least understand the effect and cost of continual overtime on the theatre work force)

Space-Based Solutions

• Flexibility for children in the space (like at Baltimore Center Stage and as described in the NY Times article “Taking Your Child to Work, When Your Job is Making Theatre”)

• Invite families to be a part of the work (as they do at SPACE on Ryder Farm)

• Offer a privacy room (like the one at Cleveland Playhouse)

• Inclusion initiatives for care-givers ( like the ones created by the Parent Artist Advocacy League and implemented by Playwrights Realm)

Policy-based solutions

• Ask your work-force about their access needs and then respond to them (as Adriana Gaviria posits in her article “Don’t Tell Anyone—A Call to Action for a Healthy Work-Life Balance in the Arts”

• Implement organization-wide anti-racist practices (as outline in Nicole Brewer’s article, “Parents of Color and The Need For Anti-Racist Theatre Practices”)

Transforming the theatre work-week is essential to the health of our industry. Our work-force deserves better. They deserve to show up to this work as a whole human being. There is not a one-size-fits-all answer, but together we can affect serious change in the industry.

Commit to Statera’s call-to-action and let us know how we can support you by filling out the form below:

Pledge to Transform the Theatre Work Week

Please share this call to action and encourage others to pledge their support using the hashtags:

#StateraWorkWeek
#BalanceTheatreWorkWeek