Call for Roundtable Participants

[Laine Newman]

*CFP: Staging Equity: Actualization or Appropriation?*
*Roundtable Session at CATR 2015 (University of Ottawa, May 30 to June 2,
2015)*
*Co-organizers: Rebecca Burton & Laine Zisman Newman*
*Moderated by Dr. Michelle MacArthur*

A 2013/14 Theatre Production Survey conducted by Playwrights Guild of
Canada revealed a distressing regression in gender parity in Canadian
theatre. Although women comprise more than half of PGC’s membership, the
survey found that they did not account for even 25% of the professional
productions staged in Canada last year. While these statistics demonstrate
a need for more equitable practices in the arts, prioritizing equity is by
no means a simplistic endeavour. As Sara Ahmed notes in *On Being Included:
Racism and Diversity in Institutional Life* (2012), equity and diversity
can also be deployed as cultural capital. Challenging the ways in which we
use the terminologies of equity and diversity, Ahmed asserts that
institutions such as universities frequently employ diversity practices as
a means of superficial aestheticization. Introducing the language of equity,
they change how the institution is perceived, but without enacting
significant changes to policy or organizational practices. Thus, although
equity is undeniably valuable, it suffers from enervation when utilized as
capital for economic and institutional benefit.



In keeping with this year’s theme of Capital Ideas, this roundtable welcomes
papers that engage with the concept of equity in Canadian theatre from
multiple standpoints. Investigations might examine methodologies to
effectively improve or subvert instances of equity in performance, explore
shifting definitions of the term “equity,” or interrogate intersections of
race, gender and abilities in relation to equity practices in the arts. How
does and should equity manifest in theatre practice?



Please send your 250-word proposals to:

Rebecca Burton and Laine Zisman Newman at

equityintheatre at gmail.com


*Submission Deadline: January 15, 2015*

http://static.ow.ly/docs/call_for_papers_roundtable_burton_zisman_newman_2FO8.pdf
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