Of all of the many reasons I’m proud to be a Twin Cities Theater Blogger, the #tctbconvo series is at the very top of my list.
Created as a response to the controversy over Refugia last year, #tctbconvo represents the Twin Cities Theater Blogger’s attempt to host proactive dialogues providing solutions and resources for major cultural issues on stage and behind the curtain. Past subjects have included racial diversity in casting and production choices, women in theater, mental health, disabilities and the differently abled, and sexuality and gender identity. We have been blessed to have a diverse, dynamic group of panelists featuring local theater creators and artists – all of whom have generously donated their time – who have fiercely advocated for their work and provided some truly excellent resources to help theaters navigate these issues.
I wanted to write a quick post to quickly shout out our most recent #tctbconvo, which was hosted Monday night at Park Square Theatre and focused on the issue of sexual harassment. I think we all can recognize what a timely subject this is, and I was thrilled with the nuanced dialogue from our panelists. We had our first ever guest moderator (shout out to Caroline Palmer of MNCASA!) and it was a lovely dialogue.
As usual we recorded the entirety of the convo for anyone who couldn’t attend. You can click here to go to the YouTube link, or click on the embedded video above, to listen to the whole thing. I also took some breakout notes on good resources the panelists recommended for anyone trying to find ways of crafting policies, making reports, and generally trying to understand this issue, which I have linked below. Please share around and let me know – are there any more resources that are really helpful that we could include on this list? Each organization is linked on the name – click directly to go to their websites.
- For an inspiring group of artists taking action against sexual harassment: Not in Our House – Chicago
- For an unbiased, governmental reporting and policy resource: MN Department of Human Rights
- For an example of a network supporting women in improve: Fair Play Minnesota
- For an anonymous reporting hotline: RAINN
- For a local theater organization hosting trainings, resources and more: MN Theater Alliance
- For a model of a company doing it right: Green T Productions
- For research about the psychology behind sexual assault: The work of David Lisak
- For inspirational resources for women and survivors to find their voice and to heal: The work of Rebecca Campbell
- For understanding the biological effects of assault on a victim: Google search the term “trauma brain”
- For a visual understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment: Watch David Schwimmer’s video series
- For resources about getting men to talk to each other: Justin Baldoni’s Man Enough Movement
UPDATE: For a consistently updated resource on this issue, please consider visiting the website for Sunshine Behavioral Health. They have put together a resource that discusses emerging solutions to domestic violence that is constantly updated. Some highlights of what it includes are:
- Domestic Violence Defined
- Teen Dating Violence 101
- Stopping Teen Dating Violence
- Early Prevention is Key
- Programs to Stop the Cycle
- Free hotlines / organizations for DV victims