On Saturday, April 23, Elm Shakespeare Company's nationally acclaimed online series Building a Brave New Theatre will return with the one-day webinar conference called Next-Gen Theatre Industry Forum, featuring daytime alum Tonya Pinkins (Livia Frye, All My Children; Heather Dalton, As the World Turns).
Pinkins has signed on as a panelist for the Holding Institutions Accountable segment, which will explore how we can hold theater companies and educational institutions accountable for their promises to become anti-racist and their statements regarding solidarity.
"Social justice work is intersectional, so how do we ensure that these companies and schools are investing in all aspects of justice practices, including racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, income justice, body positivity & neutrality, accessibility for disabilities, and more?" reads an official press release. "Moreover, when institutions make mistakes, how do we hold them responsible for their actions? Panelists will share strategies to help young advocates like ourselves continue to unpack ingrained systems of oppression that are embedded in personal belief systems and the organizational structures of the theater industry and education system."
In addition to Tony award-winner, nine-time Broadway actress, and acclaimed activist Tonya Pinkins, other panelists of the segment will include ADA 25 Advancing Leadership Member, accessibility consultant, theater-maker, and deaf rights advocate Richard Costes; MFA Juilliard student and activist Marion Grey; and Advancing Arts Forward & Building Our Own Tables Founder Yura Sapi.
The Holding Institutions Accountable webinar is scheduled to begin at 1:30PM EST on Saturday, April 23. To register and attend for free, click here.