You Belong in Bay Area Theatre

For context: Last week, the National Endowment for the Arts made a series of changes including the elimination of a grant program for underserved communities and new anti-DEI requirements for applicants. This comes during a years-long drought in arts funding. 

As pro-discrimination and anti-transgender policies gain prevalence, we at Theatre Bay Area want to reaffirm our commitment to the full breadth of theatremakers shaping our vibrant artistic community.

We stand by our words from November 2024: 

There is no Bay Area theatre without the women, immigrants, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, Jewish, Muslim, and disabled culture makers whose shoulders we stand on and who enrich our community today. […] TBA is unwavering in our belief that art is essential in building strong social ties and a vibrant democracy. We are unwavering in our understanding that we are stronger together than we are divided. We are unwavering in our vision for a Bay Area theatre where we all have the safety and resources to do our work.  

We stand by our words from October 2023: 

[We] are heartsick over the recent attacking, smearing, and scapegoating of LGBTQIA+ people, particularly trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people both here in the Bay Area and across the US. Theatre Bay Area stands in firm, unequivocal, unconditional support of our LGBTQIA+ community members of all ages. Drag and other LGBTQIA+ performing art forms are a vital piece of human expression and our artistic community. 

We stand by our values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and we do not cede to attempts to discredit the accomplishments and belonging of our marginalized colleagues.  

We stand with those of you in our community facing escalating threats to your personal safety and security. You belong in Bay Area theatre, and we are beyond lucky to have you here with us. 

Photo credit Kayleigh McCollum