What are the best practices for creating a diverse and inclusive selection committee?

1 Define your goals

Before you start recruiting your selection committee members, you need to define your goals and expectations for the production. What is the main theme or message of the script? What are the specific challenges or opportunities that the production presents? How do you want to engage your audience and your community? How do you want to support the artistic growth and development of your team? By answering these questions, you can clarify your vision and identify the skills, knowledge, and perspectives that you need in your selection committee.

2 Seek diverse representation

Once you have defined your goals, you can start looking for potential selection committee members who can bring diverse representation to the table. This means not only considering the demographic diversity of the committee, such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, disability, and religion, but also the diversity of experience, expertise, and opinion. You can seek diverse representation by reaching out to different networks, organizations, groups, and individuals who are involved or interested in the theatrical field, as well as those who are affected by or relevant to the topic of the production. You can also use various channels, such as social media, newsletters, websites, flyers, and word-of-mouth, to spread the word and invite applications or nominations.

3 Establish clear criteria

After you have gathered a pool of potential selection committee members, you need to establish clear criteria for selecting the final candidates. The criteria should be based on your goals and expectations for the production, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the committee members. You should also consider the balance and diversity of the committee as a whole, and how each candidate can contribute to the decision-making process and the overall success of the production. You should communicate the criteria to the candidates and explain how they will be evaluated and selected.

4 Provide orientation and training

Once you have selected your final selection committee members, you need to provide them with orientation and training to prepare them for their role. Orientation and training should cover the following topics: the vision and goals of the production, the timeline and budget of the production, the roles and expectations of the committee members, the selection process and procedures, the ethical and legal issues involved in the selection, and the best practices for diversity and inclusion. Orientation and training should also provide an opportunity for the committee members to get to know each other, share their perspectives and experiences, and establish trust and rapport.

5 Facilitate dialogue and feedback

During the selection process, you need to facilitate dialogue and feedback among the selection committee members and with other stakeholders, such as the playwright, the director, the cast, the creative team, and the audience. Dialogue and feedback should be respectful, constructive, and transparent, and should aim to enhance the quality and diversity of the production. You should also encourage the committee members to challenge their own assumptions and biases, listen to different viewpoints, and learn from each other. You should also monitor and evaluate the selection process and outcomes, and address any issues or concerns that may arise.