ATLANTA: The Alliance Theatre has announced that anti-bias training courses, developed and taught by Alliance Theatre facilitators and using theatre-based learning strategies, are available for corporations, nonprofits, educators, and families. The courses are designed to identify and root out implicit bias and establish a culture of equity, inclusion, and justice in the workplace and everyday life.
“Theatre is a tool of collaboration, innovation, and imagination,” said Maya Lawrence, Alliance Theatre Allyship Program director, in a statement. “On stages, we create new tangible realities that reflect the truth of our humanity in real time. During this moment where society is trying to recognize, reckon, and reimagine a world that’s actively anti-racist and authentically inclusive, equitable, and just, theatre gives us an outline to transform the future we’ve envisioned for so long into a reality we can experience now.”
The training was first developed in 2018, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, and built on the theatre’s Alliance@work corporate training model. Since then, the training has evolved to touch on more potential biases around race, religion, gender, sexuality, age, and other factors. The training has also been adapted for the use of families and educators. The course has been taken by the Alliance’s staff, teaching artists, and board, as well as High Museum of Art staff members, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra staff members, Atlanta Public Schools arts teachers, Fulton County Schools theatre educators, and 65 educators who attended the theatre’s Alliance Theatre Educator Conference this summer.
“I wanted to be sure we were providing this training for all the board members and staff at this pivotal time,” said Lila Hertz, Alliance Theatre board chair, in a statement. “The program is incredibly well conducted. We were guided through a host of definitions, learned the rules of engagement, and did several exercises in small groups. The session was managed with the utmost of respect for all. I was so impressed with the Alliance facilitators for navigating us through a difficult topic. It was a growth experience for me personally, and I’m excited for more people to experience it.”
A portion of the revenue from corporate anti-bias workshops will go toward the redelivery of anti-bias workshops to the community and nonprofit organizations at a 50 percent reduced rate. For more information, or to register for the company’s anti-bias training, visit the Alliance’s website.
