Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA/USA) will not remain silent as we continue to experience the emergency of systematic racism. We grieve the senseless and unjust killing of George Floyd, and countless others who lost their lives to injustice and police brutality. Black lives matter, and children need to be included in the conversation in order to make change.
The TYA community must recognize that we play a vital role in shaping the narrative through the stories we tell and those we don’t tell to young people across the nation. Young people of color have been consistently underrepresented in all content created for kids and families. They need to be reflected and celebrated on our stages. In addition to denouncing racism and violence against people of color in our communities, our field needs to look inward. We need to invest in and champion more artists of color, reflect the diversity of our communities in our organizational staff and boards, and use the stage to demonstrate our values. How do we ensure the the stories we tell develop empathy, build bridges, and communicate that the lives of our children of color matter?
TYA/USA recommits to galvanizing our national network to create the systemic changes needed to fight for justice and demand change. Our young people deserve better than the world we are offering them, and it is our job to help rewrite the story.
CHILDREN’S THEATER OF MADISON IS A PROUD TYA/USA MEMBER