EQU[AL]ITY SURVEY FOR INDIVIDUALS

Hello!

My name is Leah Byrne and I am the current Producing Fellow at the National Theatre of Scotland, a position supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

I am also a mixed-heritage artist: like many other artists from under-represented backgrounds, I’ve often wondered whether the opportunities I’ve been given are through merit or to fulfil a diversity quota. Over the course of my fellowship, I’m leading a research project titled The EQU[AL]ITY Project that seeks to unpack why tokenism feels for many like the elephant in the room within the theatre industry, and to think about how the sector can begin to rewire its relationship with diversity in a sustainable way that takes into account the pressures on artists and institutions alike. I’ll be interrogating models of funding, development, and production to ‘call in’ both organisations and individuals, and to create a holistic view of where/how structural change might happen.

You can take part whatever your practice within theatre is, and you don’t have to identify as marginalised or having experienced tokenism personally: as decision-making in theatre affects the entire landscape, I’m interested in hearing from everyone within the sector. Whether you work within creative or technical roles, freelance or for an institution, full-time or on the side – I want to hear about your experience.

Just so you know:
• The survey takes about 6-7 minutes to complete.
• Your responses are completely confidential.
• You can skip any question you don’t want to answer.
• At the end, you’ll have the option to take part in a short, voluntary 1-to-1 interview (online or in person).

If you have any questions or need the questionnaire in an alternative format (such as large print, translations, or audio), please contact me at: leah.byrne@nationaltheatrescotland.com

Thank you so much for taking the time to fill out this questionnaire and learn about this project!
This research goes a long way towards helping those who contribute to Scotland’s theatre industry shape a more equitable and culturally democratic future – your input is really appreciated.

How would you describe your role in the theatre sector? You can select as many options as you like.

Do you feel Scotland's theatre industry offers opportunities fairly and equitably?

Why / why not? If you'd like, you can expand on your answer below.

Do you identify as belonging to an under-represented group within the theatre sector?

Other

If you selected 'Not sure' or 'Other', please expand on your answer if you're comfortable to.

Have you ever taken part in an activity or been given an opportunity aimed at under-represented groups?

If you selected 'Not Sure' or 'Other', please expand on your answer if you're comfortable to.

If you selected 'Yes', how did you feel about this opportunity?

(For example: did you feel it was professionally useful? Was the activity appropriate to the level the opportunity was pitched at? If you have multiple examples, please refer to as many as you'd like.)

Have you ever felt tokenised within Scottish theatre?

How has this affected the way you feel about your role in the theatre industry?

You can answer this whether you've felt tokenised or not. For example: has feeling tokenised affected your confidence in your work, or made you feel taken advantage of? Alternatively, do you feel that not belonging to an under-represented group has negatively affected your access to funding, opportunities or career progression?

How would you describe the difference between tokenism and representation?

Which changes around tokenism and representation would you most like to see in the Scottish theatre industry? Please select up to three options.

Other

If you selected 'Other', please expand on your answer if you're comfortable to.

Is there anything else you'd like to share about your experience?

I consent to my answers being stored anonymously and securely for up to one year:

If you'd like to take part in a short informal chat to explore your experiences and this project further, please enter your email address below or email me directly at leah.byrne@nationaltheatrescotland.com.

TOKENISM IN SCOTTISH THEATRE