The Urgency of Agency:

This practitioner/scholar roundtable aims to highlight various perspectives and considerations on what comes first before the process of theatre-making begins. In the context of the ongoing BLM (Black Lives Matter) Movement and in conjunction with the emerging conversations in the Canadian theatre community on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, a contemplation of the urgency of agency is essential. Now, during a de facto pause on theatre-making, we are able to take stock of the ways in which our own practices affect our work and the work of others. A number of equity and inclusion initiatives have sprouted in the theatre community in Canada highlighting the work that needs to be done and the habits and attitudes that need to be redressed to create a healthier community for all. This roundtable makes space for reflection on the foundations of our own practices as Latinx-Canadian, Indigenous, Euro-Canadian and African Immigrant theatre practitioners to elucidate the similarities and the disparities that our respective value systems bring to our preparations for theatre-making.

Focusing on the pre-creation phase of theatre-making highlights the ways in which we come together: our intentions, priorities and ethos that inform our practices. What do we need to attend to before we begin the work of manifesting the story? It is crucial that we explore ethical questions that underscore the implicit and the explicit social agreements related to our practices of Land Acknowledgement, the appreciation (valorization) of diversity, and the decolonization of our artistic practices.