OUR MANDATE
A message from Lewis & the LB Acting Studio team:
As artists, it is our job to look at the truths of our society, open the wounds and reveal them to our audience.
Systemic racism is at the forefront of our consciousness and we recognize that it permeates the lives of our community, ourselves as teachers, and our students. Our goal as a studio is to actively listen to and amplify marginalized voices and provide a supportive space for BIPOC artists.
We are committed to addressing racism or discrimination of any kind, and upholding the human rights of those actors at our studio.
We acknowledge that the land we work on is not our own and we promise to care for and honour it. The land we create on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. It is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples. We acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 and the Mississaugas of the Credit.
It is our responsibility and privilege to uplift the stories and careers of marginalized people. We vow to create equal opportunity for coaches and actors regardless of ethnicity. We not only accept, but embrace diversity.
We are ready and willing to listen to any experience at our studio with open hearts and minds.
As a studio, we are committed to turning our role of ally from a noun to a verb.
At LB, we are committed to:
- Creating a committee and mentorship program comprised of BIPOC alumni to support our students, teachers, and staff
- Challenge the preconceived notions of race, gender, orientation, and age through the materials provided in class
- Continue to recognize, address, and challenge the rhetoric we use as actors and how this perpetuates existing inequalities
- Showcasing the full scope of our diverse community through our online presence and within our physical space
- Continued partnership with “The Annual B.L.A.C.K. Ball” in their various initiatives including scholarship opportunities for up to four students annually
- Each month, we will continue to host live workshops and industry panels to actively engage with the full scope of Toronto’s actors. We want to keep the conversation going
We are listening.
Sources/Special Thanks: ACTRA Toronto, SAG AFTRA, LB Acting Studio BIPOC Committee Members: Jajube Mandiela, Nadia George, Michelle Arvizu & Bunz Community