BLACK LIVES MATTER.

The unjust killings of George Floyd and many others in the Black community, who no longer have voices of their own, have led myself and my fellow colleagues into a time of deep reflection and discussion. Are we listening? Have we been complicit in prejudiced systems? Are we truly aware of the realities of the many ways that discrimination goes on in our immediate landscape?

This is a time to be honest with ourselves and with others. Persephone has not always been part of the solution and we acknowledge our past silence and contributions to the problem. To all in our artistic community that have been unintentionally harmed: we are truly sorry.

Our next steps are to listen, to learn, and then to accompany these words with actions.

In our commitment to addressing past and present issues of racism within our company, we are currently looking at the ways in which we can make our theatre more inclusive, safe, and welcoming for artists and audiences of all backgrounds. There is an action plan for clear structural change in the works that we look forward to sharing and implementing.

We stand in solidarity with the BIPOC communities and support those demonstrating for justice here in Montreal and across the globe. As theatre artists we have a strong platform to bring about change, and we are newly committed towards being a part of that evolution.

Sincerely,

Gabrielle Soskin, Artistic Director 
and the Board of Directors

To learn more about Black Lives Matter and how to help, we recommend the Quebec Drama Federation’s Resource Roundup: https://www.quebecdrama.org/blog/blm-resource-roundup