Solidarity Commitments

Elevator Repair Service recognizes, acknowledges and condemns this country’s long history of oppression of BIPOC communities. As a white led organization we understand that we have benefited from these systems and it is our responsibility to challenge racism in all its forms. In particular, we must look at biases embedded in our internal structures and policies to ensure a safe and equitable workplace and increase the representation on our stages with regard to the people we work with and the stories we tell. We will continue to listen and learn from those both inside and outside our community of artists.

We commit to the following: (Note: these are in no specific order and when things fall into more than one category, they are repeated.)

Administrative

We will continue to allocate dedicated funds in our annual budget to provide training for our staff, both individually and collectively, to determine ways to effectively move ERS toward becoming an anti-racist organization.
Review our vendor list and look for opportunities to work with BIPOC owned businesses.
Publish affiliations of board members on our website.
Provide anti-racism training opportunities for board members.
Actively seek out BIPOC board and staff members.
Provide a welcoming and flexible work environment which enables people to meet their personal, as well as, professional obligations.
Periodically review by-laws, employee handbook and job review, hiring and other internal policies to ensure they are fair and equitable.
Provide staff training to ensure a welcoming environment for BIPOC staff.
Discuss our progress, goals and actions as a regular part of weekly staff meetings.
Compensate BIPOC company members for advice/consultation on anti-racist statements, efforts, etc.
Ensure we have an environment in which staff members feel not only comfortable, but understand they have a responsibility to call out any racist activity, language, systems or protocols.

Hiring Practices

ERS is committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and ensuring that our workplace is welcoming. We also recognize that people acquire valuable experience through a variety of different paths in life. To that end we will:

Eliminate the requirement of a college degree for employment.
Eliminate language referring to a specific number of years of experience from job descriptions.
Share job postings on sites and through partner organizations that specifically serve BIPOC communities (examples include Arts Administrators of Color, Asian American Arts Alliance, Dance NYC, among others) as well as sharing postings with BIPOC colleagues.
Have at least two staff members review applications for any position.
Conduct the first round of interviews by phone.
Be explicit about salary and benefits in job postings.

Compensation and Care for Employees and Artists

In keeping with our current practice the highest paid employee will make no more than 5X the amount of the lowest paid staff member.
Eliminate unpaid internships.
In keeping with our current practice, continue to pay all artists at rates well above union minimums for performances and well above minimum wage for rehearsals.
Compensate artists for participation in fundraising events.
Be explicit about compensation in all job postings.
In keeping with our current practice, provide child care support to actors, designers and staff.
Cover a minimum of 90% of the cost of health benefits for full time employees.
We are committed to working hours that are reasonable, humane and honor people’s commitment to their family and lives outside ERS. In the office this means flexible scheduling, increased time off at holidays and summer hours. In production this means canvassing actors and designers for availability before committing to rehearsal times and dates and, in keeping with our current policy, no 10 out of 12 technical rehearsals.

Casting/Production

Continue to expand the number of BIPOC performers and designers with whom we work. We will do this by asking for recommendations from current company members and professional colleagues. We also commit to seeking out and attending more productions created by historically underrepresented theater artists.
Ensure that designers hired have experience and sensitivity working with BIPOC actors.
Look critically at points of entry for company members and determine what we can do to make working with ERS more transparent and equitable.
Maintain a resource list of actors and designers of color with whom we can begin engaging.
Using the success of Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge as a model, continue to empower company members of color to initiate and develop projects in collaboration with company members.

Audience Development

Work with all presenting theaters to ensure BIPOC audience members feel safe and welcome, including a discussion of land acknowledgements.
Work with all presenting theaters on audience outreach planning, specifically to BIPOC communities.
Make artistic staff and company members available for outreach work at presenting theaters before, during and after scheduled performances. Based on location these may be virtual or in person. Company members will be compensated as appropriate.
Continue to use virtual platforms as a first step to building relationships with BIPOC communities and organizations.
Seek out more relationships with organizations that serve BIPOC and other communities historically underrepresented and underserved in theater and in New York City. We commit to viewing these relationships as partnerships, and will work to make sure these organizations receive as great if not greater benefit than ERS from the relationship.