Beyond The Equity Statement Part II
A MINI-SERIES ON CREATING
CORE VALUES AND LIVING BY THEM.
In 2020, when COVID-19 threatened our health and livelihood, and civil unrest forced us to reevaluate our privilege, we could no longer ignore the "brokenness" of our field and the art form we love. Developing equity statements was important, but for ASI, it was time to become outward-facing about our values and to live by them.
Like many nonprofits, we didn't have the resources to spend hours digging into these topics all at once. So, with grace (and privilege), we permitted ourselves to do this over time. Not to keep pushing this back on the to-do list, but by eating the elephant one bite at a time and making sure this work could go beyond a nicely designed piece of paper.
We hope this mini-series sharing our process will inspire others to create a culture of care within their organizations and put actions behind their equity statements. (Read Part I here)
Part II: Working Agreements, Real-World Applications, Resources
Working Agreements
After we articulated our Core Values, a question emerged: How can we ensure these values are integral to our day-to-day operations and embraced by everyone collaborating with ASI?
To achieve this, we articulated a set of Working Agreements based on the notes from our Equity Training and brainstorming sessions. The article Building a culture of equity and inclusion through Working Agreements by Blue State was instrumental in drafting the following six agreements.
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Create space for creative risk-taking and failure: We haven’t embraced risk if everything works. Mistakes and failed experiments open pathways to new opportunities that lead to discoveries. Mistakes are a chance to reevaluate, pivot, or engage in open dialogue. Let’s celebrate the “Beautiful Oops” so we can grow.
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Focus on the process to enrich our product: Although we are all here to create, in the end, it is not always about the final product (a ballet, film, brochure, grant proposal) but also about how we were able to get there together. Let the process be pleasant, based on mutual respect, trust, joy, and curiosity.
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Act from a place of mutual respect and ongoing trust: Work from the mindset that we are all here because we want to be here and have each other's best interests in mind. Be respectful of each other’s visions, experiences, and comfort levels. We all have blind spots, actively look out for yours and gently point out others.
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Value mind and body: Dancers and staff are encouraged and welcome to bring physical and mental ideas to the table. Allow for psychological and physical breaks, and respect and celebrate your own body and mind and that of others. Dancers are not empty vessels, nor are their bodies disposable.
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Speak and listen: None of us are mind readers. We can address any issues, big or small, with communication. To do this, we need to speak up and actively listen. When conflict arises, and you feel disrespected, remember that your colleagues are only human. Give them the benefit of the doubt, but explain how their actions made you feel.
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Make Space, Take Space: We have different personalities and varying privilege levels; it’s up to us to decide how we use it or share it. Are you holding others back? Are you holding back because you don’t want to step on toes? We are each responsible for inclusion.
Once codified, we shared our revised Mission, Vision Statement, Core Values, and Working Agreements on our website alongside our commitment to Equity and Accessibility.
Real-World Applications
This past summer, we gathered dancers, guest choreographers, and other creative collaborators in San Francisco for our annual SKETCH Series. We shared our Core Values and Working Agreements as part of the onboarding process and during our first day in the studio. These new documents became an anchor for us during the creative process, in difficult conversations, and steered administrative decisions.
We are immensely grateful to have had over a year to massage and mold our Vision Statement, Core Values, and Working Agreements. We intend for them to evolve continuously. We're excited to invite all of ASI's collaborators – from interns to donors – to join us on our journey to work and create in true and equitable collaboration, better serving our community through the art form we love.
Resources
*There are many excellent resources available online to guide similar discussions in your own organization. Here are a few of my favorites:
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Smartsheet: Vision statement worksheet
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Diggles Creative: Brand vision worksheet
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Whole Whale: Nonprofit vision and mission statement worksheet
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Lone Star College System: Worksheets for developing mission and vision statements