Belonging and Welcoming

May 26, 2023 - If you haven't read it, check out this article from the New York Times last week about "diversity and belonging" and how some companies are prioritizing that approach over "diversity and inclusion."

One of the key findings from a Signature Theatre research study on welcome and belonging among Black and Asian audiences is that those who were surveyed said that belonging comes from within, while welcome is something that can be created by a company's approach to audiences. How does this finding translate into action steps for an arts organization?

First, creating a sense of welcome involves much more than putting out a welcome mat. Welcome starts with audience engagement before a ticket is even purchased. And, as audience members enter the building, they must be greeted with "radical hospitality," a concept that is grounded in religious teachings and is defined as "hospitality that goes beyond being friendly; it is welcoming guests with a warmth, openness, and authenticity that significantly exceeds expectations” (The Art of Hospitality). Dominique Morisseau's Playwright's Rules of Engagement provides a guide as well. Her rules arose out of her experiences chronicled in Why I Almost Slapped a Fellow Theatre Patron, and What That Says About Our Theatres that appeared in American Theatre. Signature's staff took the initiative to establish the ARADIA (Anti-Racist, Anti-Discrimination Interactions with Audiences) Committee and published a community agreement for all visitors "to convey and establish anti-racist and nondiscriminatory institutional values when in community with Signature."

Welcome is more than words. Welcome is more than an invitation. It is an imperative to welcome our audience into our homes which are, in fact, their homes.