Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
We Dance vision is of a just society in which every artist can realise their potential and enjoy a fulfilling and creative life. This is at the heart of what we do with all our clients. To achieve this, we need to will fight to tackle inequalities head-on and use all of our resources to drive positive change without using people’s characteristics for ludicrous purposes. So a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) sits at the centre of We Dance’s strategy; it drives how we work, who we are, and how we make decisions about our business.
We are publishing this commitment so we can be held accountable; we recognise that there is much work to be done within the dance management industry, and we will keep working on challenging our practices. We are on a journey as an organisation, which will involve learning, listening and responding to others. We expect to work hard and to change and are realistic about the time and effort this will take. This statement is a starting point that will evolve as we do.
What diversity, equity and inclusion mean to We Dance.
There is a power imbalance inherent in our sector. Therefore we commit to using our power well and work towards improving representation across every aspect of our organisation and using our resources to drive similar change in the dance sector. We are committed to functioning in an inclusive, open and honest way and deeply understand how equity – or the lack of it – affects our clients, companies and organisations we work with.
We know that not everyone has the same advantages and opportunities – there is no level playing field – and we will work even harder to engage with individuals and groups who experience structural barriers and to fund work that tackles root causes and structural and systemic inequality, and injustice.
Our aims for the future
-We are making specific and lasting commitments to embed this work more systematically throughout the organisation and to be anti-racist.
-We will create a platform, culture and resources to discuss, work on and understand how diversity, equity and inclusion relate to talent management/hiring.
-We will develop the guidelines, policies and decision-making practices to embed equity principles in the clients we represent.
-We, building on our values of trust and openness, will collect and publish data to be transparent about us and to share our work and expertise with as many people as possible.