Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Statement

At Stowe Story Labs a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace 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. 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 and ensure that all voices are valued and heard. 

We are committed to modeling diversity and inclusion for 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 underrepresented voices. This is one of the ways we work to bend the world through story. 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 that interfere with 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 expand more diverse leadership 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 underrepresented constituents by connecting with other arts organizations committed to diversity and inclusion efforts.

  • Challenge systems and policies that create inequity, oppression, and disparity.

  • Work to close the opportunity gap, which is an underlying cause of underrepresentation.