ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER
Quote Unquote Collective makes a commitment to hold ourselves accountable to stop supporting white systems of power that allow us to thrive, and Black people, Indigenous people, and people of colour to continue to be harmed, ignored, disrespected, erased and murdered. We mourn the deaths of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Ejaz Ahmed Choudry and countless others named and unnamed. We’ve spent the last month learning, listening, and are now committed to make change. This is long overdue. Our silence has caused harm to members of our community.
Much of the feminism that we know has an ugly history of white-centrism. The activism and labour done by the Black community both past and present, has directly affected the progress that has been possible for gender equity. We acknowledge the work and lives that we directly benefit from.
As a company run by two straight, cisgendered white women, we acknowledge our history of upholding white supremacy. This has happened in a myriad of large and small ways. Our responsibility as leaders who hold space is to make all people, from all communities, feel welcome and safe. Seen and heard. At all times. We have failed to do this. We have failed our community.
We understand that we cannot name ourselves allies, but can only perform action in solidarity. These are some concrete steps we are taking to change our actions in order to create a better environment for current and future collaborators:
We are beginning with ourselves, our own education, and our complicity with harmful systems of power. This includes a shared reading list as well as attending formal anti-racist training sessions.
We are addressing who is making decisions, who is holding the power and how that power is being shared. This includes seeking out BIPOC collaborators and offering positions of leadership within our project-based company to those voices.
We are committed to finding ways of giving our proximity to power and our platform to marginalized voices. Specifically channeling successful funding into projects led by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ artists.
We commit to paying artists for the cultural and emotional labour that they do in service of Quote Unquote Collective.
We commit to creating an Anti-Hate/Anti-Discrimination policy that is signed at the beginning of all contracts, making explicit the safety of the space. This will be co-signed by a third party organization who will have meaningful power to hold us accountable.
Recognizing that there are inequities that limit participation, we will ensure that scholarships and subsidies are available for all workshops and trainings that QUC runs.
As we move forward into this period of intense examination of our past and restructuring to move into the future, we ask our community to hold us accountable to these commitments. This is a beginning, and we will remain open to ongoing dialogue and exchange.
For links to resources we are relying on, and ways to donate, click HERE
With utmost love and respect,
Artistic Directors Amy Nostbakken & Norah Sadava