At Theatre NOVA, we believe theatre should be a place where everyone feels seen, valued, and safe. We recognize that systemic oppression — including racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and other forms of discrimination — continues to shape the world we live in, including the arts.
We are committed to building a culture of equity, inclusion, and justice. That means actively working to dismantle systems of white supremacy, heteronormativity, and exclusion within our organization and community. It also means listening, learning, and being accountable when we fall short.
We are especially grateful to the Black Lives Matter movement, We See You, White American Theatre, and the artists and activists in our own community who continue to hold us accountable. This work is ongoing — and it must be intersectional. We center the experiences of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists and community members in everything we do.
We recognize that we operate within systems that have historically privileged white, cisgender, heterosexual, and able-bodied people — including within our own leadership. As such, we commit to:
• Increasing representation of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists, staff, board members, and leadership.
• Programming stories by and about historically marginalized voices.
• Providing safe, supportive, and accountable creative environments for all artists.
• Offering anti-oppression and anti-racism training for staff and board members.
• Listening to and compensating those who share feedback or experiences of harm.
• Creating transparent systems for accountability and repair.
We also acknowledge that Theatre NOVA is located on land originally stewarded by the Anishinaabeg, including the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi peoples, and the Wyandot (Huron) people. We honor their past, present, and future contributions.
This work is not easy, and it will never be finished. We regularly review and update our progress. We understand that equity work is not a checklist, but a lifelong practice. But we remain committed to showing up — humbly, honestly, and with open hearts — to build a theatre that reflects the world we want to live in.