*This is a working, living document that will change and adapt as needed
The Bushwick Starr is committed to fostering a safe and comprehensively inclusive environment that allows for the pursuit of art-making within our creative spaces and communities. Our creative community extends to every artist, designer, performer, donor, collaborator, partner and audience member that graces our space with their time, talents, support and positivity. Vendors and rental clients are also subject to our expectations.
Furthermore, community members are expected to adhere to all federal, state and local laws and regulations while engaged in a space in which The Bushwick Starr presides, on our premises or off-site. We reserve the right to dismiss and eject any member who fails to adhere to our community guidelines as articulated below:
SAFE SPACES
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We reject and strongly rebuke all conduct and attitudes that threaten to inhibit the right of any community member to express themselves and their truth. Harassment of any kind, dismissal of sensitized forums and subject matter, the violation of stated and understood confidence, disregard for issues that actively exclude community members from participating in our spaces and all other such behavior identified by any member of the community and brought to the attention of The Bushwick Starr staff and leadership will not be tolerated under any circumstances. We endeavor to treat all claims of abuse seriously and equitably and resolve to thoroughly address and mindfully investigate any such matters that may arise.
CREATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE INTEGRITY
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We work to ensure the visibility of all art-making collaborators by advocating for rightful credits to be bestowed according to effort and investment not presumed hierarchy. No one is interchangeable or disposable and titles are carefully considered in the billing of our performance material.
CALLING OUT
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We aim to continually combat privilege, entitlement, racism, sexism, queerphobia, ableism, ignorance, condescension and bias in ourselves, our organization and others by confronting socially regressive behavior and verbalizing and enacting a countered response.
NEIGHBORHOOD RESPONSIBILITY
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We acknowledge that The Bushwick Starr is a company of transplants that took root in the neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn. We are responsible to the history, culture and residents of Bushwick and intend to be an agent of recognition and preservation while offering a platform for community engagement and dialogue.
Through the implementation of our guiding principles we aim to ensure:
ALL ARE WELCOME
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Onstage, on staff and behind the scenes we are working to continually embody the rich diversity of our communities by genuinely and equitably pursuing and procuring talent and experience of all kinds and all backgrounds and creating opportunities through our hiring and season selection practices through careful and responsible deliberation.
SOCIAL & CULTURAL SOLIDARITY
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Potential partners, vendors and clients undergo considerable vetting in order to ensure that their projects, purposes and beliefs align with our mission and commitment to Do No Harm to our communities.
HARNESSING LOCAL TALENT
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We strive to strengthen our commitment to our neighborhood and bolster our staff and cache of professionals with artistic and vocational expertise by recruiting local talent as a means to continually bridge the values of our company and community by working to minimize disparity and displacement.
ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATION
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It is with heavy regret that we acknowledge that we are presently under-equipped to accommodate community members of different physical modalities and diverse mobilities. While this acknowledgement does little in the way of supporting our ADA-impacted members and in no way excuses our current challenges, we do strive to compensate our limitations by making our building elevator and priority floor seating available to all who inquire in advance. Accommodations can be arranged by contacting Jehan O. Young at jehan@thebushwickstarr.org.
ACCOUNTABILITY & ADAPTABILITY
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This document is an organism of our organization; a living thing with the ability to evolve and expand intrinsic to its existence and enactment. We invite our community to suggest, recommend and contribute additional insight as we continue to capture and honor the specific needs of our members.
The Bushwick Starr would like to acknowledge the labor and inspiration of the following sources, whose work helped guide the creation of our Code of Community: harunalee, Cave Canem, and the A.R.T./New York Diversifying Our Organizations Cohort 1.
This document was contributed to by the Starr staff in place as of July 2018.
LAND, LABOR & NEIGHBORHOOD ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
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We recognize that we assemble on the unceded land of the Lenape and Canarsie Nations. We acknowledge the Lenape and Canarsie community, as well as the entire Indigenous Diaspora, their elders past and present, and the future generations of these nations as we work to advocate for their autonomy, protection and preservation.
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We recognize that this land has been built and developed on the uncompensated labor of enslaved black people; labor that continues to lack reciprocation, reparations and beneficial returns. We acknowledge that we continue to reap from the compulsory contributions of these stolen people and remain indebted to their sacrifice and suffering.
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We recognize that we are a white-founded organization broadly run by white leadership and a company largely comprising transplants from other parts of this country. We acknowledge that our footprint as gentrifiers in Bushwick, Brooklyn has contributed to shifts and disparities in class, economy and culture and expect to be held accountable to the rich and assorted history and heritage of our neighbors who have inhabited, defined and invested in Bushwick long before our arrival.
Reach Out:
Please contact the following staff member for further assistance and clarification, if needed:
Jehan O. Young, General Manager: jehan@thebushwickstarr.org