Our Commitment to Equity
Pentacle was created in 1976 with the goal of making the dance field a more equitable and supportive place for artists and arts administrators. The organization’s founding dancers, choreographers and administrators knew firsthand how the predominant models of support limited resources and opportunities to a select few. They developed Pentacle’s business structure on a communal model in an effort to ensure that all artists, including those who had been routinely marginalized and excluded, would receive infrastructure support, mentorship and resources needed to pursue and persist with their art. While the organization has evolved over time in many ways, Pentacle’s current staff and board of directors continue to uphold Pentacle's mission by centering diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) in our core values. We strive to reflect these values in our day-to-day operations.
Pentacle uses the following definitions¹ when referring to DEIA:
Diversity: Psychological, physical, and social differences that occur among any and all individuals; including but not limited to race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, and learning styles.
Equity: The guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. The principle of equity acknowledges that there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations, and that fairness regarding these unbalanced conditions is needed to assist in providing equal opportunities to all groups.
Inclusion: The act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate and bring their full, authentic selves to work. An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect in the words/actions/thoughts of all people.
Accessibility: The practice of making information, activities, and environments functional and usable for as many people as possible. It acknowledges past and present-day harm to disabled communities², and the importance of making multiple points of access available for people to engage with materials and activities without the burden of needing to ask for special accommodations.
Your Feedback is Important to Us
Our work is ongoing. Pentacle is committed to being responsive to the needs of our diverse community. If you have any questions, would like to share your thoughts and experiences with Pentacle, or would like to find out more about our initiatives and programs past or present that are central to our DEIA values, we invite you to email: DEIACommittee@pentacle.org.
¹ Definitions for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are sourced from Equity in the Center Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture [Equity in the Center, 2020]