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Accountability & Boards

Diversifying Boards

We demand that boards of directors overhaul their memberships to be more inclusive and to better reflect the fact that white people make up just 11.5% of the global population.

  • We demand the immediate removal of racist board members and those who have exhibited racist behavior.

  • Eliminate mandatory financial minimum gifts for board membership.

  • Deprioritize outsized monetary influence in board decisions and prioritize valuing the voices and skills of BIPOC board members. Honor cultural competency, relationship building and lived experiences.

  • Recognizing that artists are essential to boards, amend bylaws to require that executive committees must include BIPOC artists.

  • Establish institutionalized board access for production staff.

  • Institute an in-house BIPOC Alliance Committee made up of BIPOC staff, artists and community members to evaluate the mission and vision of the theater and collaborate with executive leadership and the board to build a strategic plan designed to move the theatre toward anti-racist practices. Members of the BIPOC Alliance should be voting board members.

ALREADY DOING

  • Currently, 4 of 38 (10%) board members are of color.

  • We are not aware of any current racist board members.

  • The board currently makes exceptions to the give or get for certain circumstances if that is a concern when recruiting someone who otherwise would bring other valuable benefits/skills to the board.

  • Development department is currently researching best practices for bringing on artists to the board, specifically BIPOC artists.

  • Signature staff can ask to attend a board meeting.

  • Currently staff committee, board committee, work with Wayfinding, working with outside BIPOC artist groups to move the theatre towards more anti-racist practices.

MORE DISCUSSION NEEDED
  • Committee recommends Board discusses the following topics:
    • What defines a “racist Board member”?;
    • What actions will the Board take with board members who continue to exhibit troublesome behavior? Does this require a change in the by-laws?
    • Should the Board allocate a set number of positions for artists?
    • Does the Board want to add an executive level position for an artist or artists?
    • What is the policy on Board meetings being open to all staff members?
    • How can the Board strengthen their relationships and transparency with the entire staff?
    • What are ways in which the Governance Committee can expand beyond their immediate circles for recruitment?
    • Looking back over the past 10 years, having recruited about 2-5 new Board members a year, with only one 1 new board member of color, what are different ways to approach Signature’s process for recruiting moving forward?
SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

  • Board to continue to set goals and strategic implementation plan for how to move the theater towards more anti-racist practices in conjunction with Wayfinging Partners.

  • Recruit and add more people of color to the board. There are currently 12 open spots on the board that could be filled.

  • Committee feels that this proposed immediate excommunication leaves no room for personal growth. It may be more beneficial to educate rather than remove any board members who exhibit troublesome opinions or actions.

  • Sub-committee does not think we should get rid of the give/get but continue to make exceptions, as necessary.

  • Continue to empower BIPOC voices from all levels of the organization - board, staff, artists/artisans to contribute to working towards this goal.

  • Sub-Committee does not recommend an in-house BIPOC Alliance Committee, as we have similar committees already in place.

  • Sub-committee recommends continuing to review our mission/vision every 5-10 years as we already do, and to include significant representation with BIPOC members when that is done. N/A

Being a Public Good

We demand an account of how your theatre is adhering to its obligation as a 501(c)3 to be in service of the public good. We, BIPOC, are a part of that public.

  • Boards of directors must require that institutional annual budgets reflect the institution's mission and values with respect to EDI work. Budgets are to be audited by an independent reviewer, and public funding is to be dependent in part on that independent reviewer’s audit.

  • We demand the creation of a national BIPOC rating system where institutions are graded according to their adherence to BIPOC and anti-racist policies.

  • Give back dollars to BIPOC communities impacted by or represented in stories at PWI theatres. For example, do NOT tell a story about Flint without donating to organizations fighting for clean water in Flint.

  • Public response to public questions for Boards regarding EDI.

ALREADY DOING
  • We have started this work in partnering with other EDI organizations but recognize there is more to be done and broader audiences to reach. Some examples of past partnership include:
    • Annual work with AFAC
    • Giving information about anti-gun organizations during Assassins
    • Partnering with the BLM DC Chapter for SIS production of 295N
    • Doing a bucket drive with audiences for theatreWashington or like we did after Hurricane Sandy
    • Provide free tickets and subsidizing transportation to student and other community groups who wouldn't be able to attend because of cost/transportations.
    • Hosting a community collection drive to support BLM protestors.
    • Offered resources and organizations to support to audience members during The Scottsboro Boys.
MORE DISCUSSION NEEDED

  • Committee recommends Governance Committee explore avenues to pursue partnerships with anti-racism organizations such as BLM DC, Black Artists Collation, NAACP, etc. especially when the shows lend themselves to their work.

  • Committee would like the Board and Executive leadership to have thoughtful discussion on Signature’s position on transparency when it comes to AR & E work. How does the organization feel about public statements on website, social media, etc? Is our communication with the staff transparent enough in regard to the company’s AR & E initiatives?

Ending Contracts with Police Departments

We demand that all theatres cease all contractual security agreements with police departments. Theatres must invest in security agencies that are not affiliated with or founded by police or ex-police officers.

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  • We do not have any contractual security, the only time we have police is at open house and it is required by the county.

Ending Relationships with Immoral Oil Companies

We demand you divest in companies that build oil pipelines through the land of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Tribal Nations in the US and Indigenous communities globally that continue to poison the water, air, land and livelihoods of Indigenous peoples and contribute to climate change that is disproportionately affecting BIPOC communities.

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  • We do not currently have any institutional investments.

Requiring Diversity from Allies

We demand that white directors, playwrights, actors and designers begin implementing universal/across the board BIPOC inclusion/equity riders that explicitly state that work will only be accepted if their specific department, team and the entire company is at least 50% BIPOC.

MORE DISCUSSION NEEDED
  • If we do not want to implement inclusion riders (see point below), what are other ways in which we can hold Signature’s white staff and artists accountable in creating a more equitable company make up?
SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

  • Committee feels that this is not the best strategy for Signature to use to pursue the goal of 50% BIPOC representation for the company, but this point sheds a light on an important issue we are committed to addressing. We agree that diversity/representation across the board on creative/production teams, staff, board, and audiences should be one of Signature's goals.

  • Committee does not recommend Signature set diversity quotas or enact inclusion riders. However, we feel strongly that Signature needs to discuss and set their own goals and standards as an organization (weighing in feedback from all levels of staff and Board), what is our ultimate goal on this topic? What does a racially diverse version of Signature Theatre look like? What is standing in our way to get there?

Atoning for Past Injustices

We demand restorative justice for the crimes and infractions White American Theatres have committed against BIPOC theatre companies.

  • We have seen how you have engaged with BIPOC theatre companies you have chosen to collaborate with: attaching their name to your grant proposals without giving them any of the funds.

  • We have seen how you exploit their life’s work with their own communities and community members; extracting their artists; forcing them to raise money and produce the project for you.

  • We have seen how you sometimes make them pay you rent for a show which you proudly take credit for as part of your season.

  • We recognize that BIPOC artists bring cultural authenticity and value to your seasons. If you choose to collaborate with BIPOC theatres, it must be an equitable partnership.

SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
  • Set clear procedures for how Signature processes requests to partner with Signature and/or rent the space. Though we have very little capacity for these opportunities, how can we ensure that the partnerships are distributed equitably? (ie: giving opportunities to perform at Signature past the white companies we have normally given space to like Urban Arias or Bowen McCauley).
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  • We can't think of an example of a time when we would have been guilty of any of these infractions in the past but we recognize that this is largely because we have not sought out partnership opportunities with other BIPOC Theatre companies.

Auditing Organizational BIPOC Compositions

We demand a 360 annual review process for executive leadership, including artists, staff, and community stakeholders, the majority of whom should identify as BIPOC.

  • All executive leaders must develop a succession plan within 5 years of service.
ALREADY DOING
  • Executive leadership (AD & MD) receives annual review led by members of the Board’s executive leadership.
MORE DISCUSSION NEEDED
  • Committee recommends the Board discuss if they would like to expand annual MD & AD review process to include feedback from staff, artists, community members, etc.
SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
  • It would be beneficial for Signature to have all exec leadership create succession plans, including cross training of other staff on their duties - ie: the hit by the bus scenario.

Establishing Executive Term Limits

We demand term limits for executive leaders. It is an act of service to resign if you have currently been an executive leader of the same institution for 20+ years.

MORE DISCUSSION NEEDED
  • This is a board decision.