Welcome to ElevAATE: Perspectives in Theatre & Education
By Carolyn Marie Wright
This past year has been a whirlwind of change and unforeseen circumstances, and ongoing uncertainty continues to threaten the possibility of balance and peace for so many people. For those of us in theatre and education, the desire to create safe space and a sense of belonging for our students, our communities, and ourselves is unwavering. For the folx at American Alliance for Theatre & Education, including myself, this desire is heightened. While our nation, and the world, faces the next wave of the pandemic and incessant political division and economic instability, we must never give up on the pursuit of connection and inclusion. So how does that fit into the AATE landscape as it relates to the digital space we share? To begin with, it requires clarity and refocusing of the lens through which we do The Work, and it is a call to action. Today marks the next step together as we debut the new incarnation of the AATE digital platform, ElevAATE: Perspectives in Theatre & Education.
First, some context. I joined the editing team of AATE’s Incite/Insight back in January 2018 when Erika Atkins was at the helm. Erika sent an email inviting folx to participate in the relaunching of AATE’s digital magazine, and I volunteered as an Assistant Editor. Incite/Insight was created to be an online resource for practitioners working in the intersection of theatre and education: a digital space for folx to share articles, lesson plans, interviews, photo essays, and various forms of perspectives in our field. The next year, Alex Ates became Editor, and I transitioned into my role as Senior Content Editor. I was tapped to step in and officially take on the leadership duties at the annual AATE Conference that upcoming summer. Then 2020 took a drastic turn. With the pandemic and racial ruptures across the nation, that meant a shift for Incite/Insight.
On May 5, 2020, the editing team published the following solidarity statement: “In this time of incredible turmoil and revolution, Incite/Insight joins the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, AATE, in standing with the Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color (BIPOC) that our colleagues identify with and serve at the intersection of theatre and education.” Steps were made to include more BIPOC and GM (Global Majority) voices on the digital platform. But there was more Work to do, and it would be a long road ahead before arriving at this moment, in January 2022. In March 2021, Alexis Truitt and the AATE Board of Directors invited me to join the Equity, Inclusion, Diversity & Access (EIDA) Task Force as a representative of Incite/Insight. It was clear that the digital space for AATE members and guests needed more than a facelift and rebranding.
Who am I then to be a part of this change? As a cisgender, white woman, that means that I make course corrections, I look deep within myself to identify blind spots, and I expand what it means to create the aforementioned safe space and sense of belonging for others. I “walk the walk” with transparency and mindfulness so that equity, inclusion, diversity, and access take root, grow and flourish in our digital space. As an AATE community, that means we must elevate much-needed conversations and perspectives in our field. I am astutely aware of my privilege and recognize that my role as Editor for ElevAATE is an opportunity to extend the table, multiply the invitations to the conversation, and amplify the voices of folx whose perspectives have been excluded or marginalized in the past. Ultimately, this will lead to a change in Editor leadership by Conference 2022 and a continued expansion of writer and editor representation as part of the S.M.A.R.T. Goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Based) outlined during the task force sessions.
So where are we now? After months of thought sessions, emails, member surveys, naming conversations, renaming conversations, first drafts, revisions, and roadblocks, we are finally here, in January 2022. ElevAATE: Perspectives in Theatre & Education is ready to launch. The commitment to create safe space and a sense of belonging must also include our AATE members and guests, especially those who identify as BIPOC and GM. ElevAATE will continue to be an online resource for practitioners working in the intersection of theatre and education, and we hope you will join us to write the next chapter.
I want to extend my gratitude to Alexis Truitt, Wyckham Avery, Anna A. Smith, and Taylor St. John for their ongoing efforts and perseverance during this transitional period with the editing team. A special thank you goes to Michael J. Bobbitt for facilitating the EDIA task force through online sessions and helping our AATE community reflect and make progress towards change. Most of all, we are here today because of the patience and participation of folx like you, our readers and writers. Courageous conversations and civil discourse only happen when people engage. Thank you for being a part of the dialogue, speaking up, picking up a pen, typing out your thoughts, stepping in, and doing The Work with us. My hope is that ElevAATE gives us more than a digital space to explore education and theatre together; it will be a home for anyone who seeks a sense of belonging in an age of disconnection and disruption.
Carolyn Marie Wright hails from upstate New York and is currently based in Phoenix where she serves as Theatre Director & English Teacher at Brophy Prep and Artistic Director of Humanity Play Project. Proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, AATE, and Arizona Theatre Company’s Cohort Club.
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