At Shaking the Tree, we are actively working on transforming our theatre. We are working to identify and dismantle white supremacy, white supremacist culture, anti-Blackness, transphobia, homophobia, and all other forms of oppression. StT acknowledges the harm that has been done to members of the BIPOC community, and we are committed to consciously dismantling this harm through anti-racist practices that include harm reduction, harm prevention, and relationship repair. Our progress has been non linear, and we are continuing to learn how to best support and highlight these communities. We have taken a look at our own practices and the systems we participate in. We understand that through our action and inaction we have caused harm, and we commit to transparency in our accountability and in our ever evolving anti-racist practices. ​

July 2023 Commitments / Updates:

• Shaking the Tree staff continued to meet weekly to check in about anti-racism & anti-bias work during our 2022/23 season, & will continue these weekly meetings in our 2023/24 season.
• Shaking the Tree is committed to continuing our work towards 50% BIPOC representation on our board. The work towards this commitment has been slow moving. The question we continue to bump up against is how do we do this authentically without feeling like we’re checking a box just to get our numbers to 50%? We are continuing to build relationships with BIPOC community members who support our work, and are actively searching for new board members. During the 2022/23 season we increased our Board’s BIPOC representation from 12% to 22%. 
• Shaking the Tree has continued to prioritize the wellbeing of all employees & contractors by using the information gathered from post-show surveys to upgrade working conditions. 
• In our 2022/23 season we offered multiple ticket discounts to support financial access from diverse economic backgrounds, including student/youth, Under 30/Over 60, and a $5 Helping Hand ticket option available to anyone. Overall, we provided 1,600 discounted and free admissions out of 2,606 tickets sold, and 48% of our ticket buyers were first-time StT attendees. This is up 40% from our first time attendees in 2021/22.
• In 2023/24, Shaking the Tree is raising all of our ticket prices slightly to cover the inflated costs of making theatre. We have decided to raise our Helping Hand tickets from $5 to $10, as we still wish to provide tickets at an accessible price point. 
• In our 2022/23 season, Shaking the Tree continued to elevate AAPI voices through our programming. The play In A Different Reality She’s Clawing At The Walls included a 57% AAPI & 86% BIPOC team. Shaking the Tree will continue to elevate AAPI voices in our Winter 2024 production. 
• In our 2022/23 season, Shaking the Tree presented Nothing Left To Lose: A Multimedia Summer Festival, which featured work by artists whose work is not traditionally seen in theatre. We commit to expanding on this by offering The Open Space Residency, which is designed as a space for emerging artists to explore & experiment with their work. We believe that these kinds of offerings expand accessibility for a number of emerging artists, and provide platforms for their work. 
• Shaking the Tree is wondering what pay transparency would look like, & how this would affect our work towards dismantling hierarchy in the workplace. We are committed to continuing this conversation within our organization, and opening it up to our collaborators. 
  ​
  

June 2022 Commitments / Updates:

• Shaking the Tree staff met weekly to meet/check in about our continued anti-racism & anti-bias work throughout our 2021/22 season. We plan on continuing this in our 2022/23 season.
• Shaking the Tree's 2021/22 season reflected the commitment of 50% (or more) BIPOC representation reflected in the staff, performers, designers, & crew of Shaking the Tree. We are committed to continuing this work, and having this reflected in the board at Shaking the Tree over the next two years.
• Shaking the Tree has prioritized the wellbeing of all employees & contractors by eliminating 10 out of 12 tech rehearsals, and by implementing an anonymous post-show survey to encourage open dialogue. 
• Shaking the Tree prioritized bringing in a diverse audience for our 2021/22 season. We welcomed 219 (18%) first time attendees to our shows this past season. 
• Shaking the Tree prioritized bringing in an audience with a diverse economic background for our 2021/22 season. Reduced rate $5 "Helping Hand" tickets were available for every performance, with no standards for eligibility. Shaking the Tree commits to continuing to offer reduced rate tickets for all productions in our 22/23 season. 
• Shaking the Tree gave 50% of all proceeds made from 家人, a Self Portrait Film by Rebby Yuer Foster to Hate is a Virus, an organization helping educate and activate AAPI to stand for justice and equality in solidarity with other communities by mobilizing to participate in local and national campaigns, creating safe spaces for dialogue and education, and providing actionable steps and funding in partnership with trusted community leaders and organizations.

In an attempt to hold ourselves accountable, we will continue to publish yearly updates on this page about further commitments and the progress of our ongoing work. If you wish to have dialogue with us about our commitments & progress, please contact us at feedback@shaking-the-tree.com.