Update
The research is well underway thanks to our Indiegogo donors and other supporters! To make additional contributions or to learn more about the latest research and events, please visit us at: www.act-sf.org/wlp
Thank you for joining us on this journey towards a more equitable future for the arts!
Above video: Professional theater artists, administrators,
students, and scholars discuss what obstacles might be keeping more women from
reaching leadership positions in the American theater.
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Women’s Leadership
Project
American Conservatory
Theater and the Wellesley Centers for Women are launching a research study into
the gender equity of leadership opportunities in the nonprofit American
theater.
Women currently hold 19%
of artistic director positions, and have never held more than 27% of leadership
positions in American nonprofit theater. Why? In a field in which
“representation” is important to the stories we present to the public, the
persistent underrepresentation of female leadership is puzzling and
problematic.
This project has grown
out of our recognition that while A.C.T. has two women in leadership positions,
this is the exception and not the norm. We have become increasingly concerned
that there are not enough women poised to take up the reins, and that there is no data to
explain why. Using the theater field as a starting point, this project will
explore what can be done to increase the participation of women at the higher
reaches of the arts in America.
The Research
Guided by A.C.T. Artistic
Director Carey Perloff and Executive Director Ellen Richard, WCW’s Associate
Director and Senior Research Scientist, Sumru Erkut, will lead an experienced
research team in this investigation through a study model designed to answer
two research questions:
- Why are there so few women in artistic and executive director
positions?
- What can be done to achieve greater diversity in theater
leadership?
Searching for answers to
these questions will require an examination of the career development of women
in theater and also the institutional factors related to how searches for
leadership are conducted and finalized. This research will lead us to
identify the ways in which artistic and executive directors are currently being
selected, and will point to recommendations of how candidate evaluations could
change to make the selection more gender balanced.
The Convening
Once the study has been
released, we will reach out to organizations both in and out of the theater
field to help us disseminate our findings to further the conversation. We are
engaged in discussions with HowlRound Center for Theater Commons, a national
online community based at Emerson Arts in Boston, as well as Mills College, a
prominent women’s institution in the Bay Area, to host one or more convenings
as the capstone of the research to share our study findings and facilitate a
dialogue about this issue with a diverse group of academic, artistic, and
policy leaders.
The hope is to address
infrastructure problems such that the pipeline for leadership talent is more
open, inclusive, and representative of the field.
The Impact
The
performing arts enhance how we view ourselves and our place in the world by
giving voice and shape to diverse experiences, feelings, actions, and thoughts.
Promoting women’s leadership in the arts will make the field more inclusive of
diverse talents, broadening our overall vision.
This project will be valuable
to the entire arts field by providing real data about female leaders and a
clearer understanding of career development. We envision an arts field with
leadership that is truly representative of the diverse perspectives of those
who participate at every level.
Where You Come In
Your support will enable the
critical next steps to start the research and launch this project. We will be
holding performances, talks, and parties exclusively for our supporters.
