Quality, Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Statement
At Stowe Story Labs we are committed to excellence, and in addition to seeking out the best people we can find, we believe such work must also reflect our community at large. This means we support a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. This is one where all employees, volunteers, and constituents, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, or disability, feel valued and respected. Everyone we work with is qualified for what they do with us. In addition, we are committed to a nondiscriminatory community and provide equal employment, advancement, and participation opportunities, both within our organization and in our programming. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages.
We are committed to breaking down artificial barriers to entry to the film and television sectors, and to maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all. As we cultivate opportunities for emerging filmmakers and screenwriters, we seek out and nurture work by qualified underrepresented voices. This is one of the ways we work to bend the world through story. We live in a diverse world. There are bright, talented, collaborative, and imaginative people throughout that world, and we are excited to work with qualified individuals regardless of background.
To provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity, Stowe Story Labs:
Sees diversity, inclusion, and equity as connected to our mission and critical to ensure the well-being of our staff and the communities we serve.
Acknowledges and dismantles inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and continually evaluates organization progress.
Explores potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions and cultural biases that block inclusiveness.
Advocates for and supports thinking about how systemic inequities impact our organization’s work, and how best to address them in a way that is consistent with our mission.
Commits time and resources to ensure qualified and diverse leadership exists within our board, staff, committees, and program participant bodies.
Features works by diverse storytellers in our marketing, newsletter, alumni notes, and programs.
Leads with respect and tolerance. We expect all employees and participants to embrace this notion and to express it in interactions and through everyday practices.
Stowe Story Labs abides by the following action items to help promote diversity and inclusion in our organization:
Pursue cultural competency by creating substantive learning opportunities and formal, transparent policies.
Improve our cultural leadership pipeline by creating and supporting programs and policies that foster leadership that reflects the diversity of society.
Pool resources and expand offerings for those facing adversity by connecting with other arts organizations committed to such efforts.
Challenge systems and policies that create inequity, oppression, and disparity.
Work to close the opportunity gap, which is an underlying cause of underrepresentation.