It is a complex exercise to curate the White Privilege Edition of something as a straight white male who comes from a lot of privilege. An issue that has come up repeatedly in discussions around ethnic diversity in Canadian theatre is that although diverse works are occasionally programmed, the person who chooses what and who is programmed is still usually a fairly privileged white guy. As is the case, again, with this edition of #cdncult.
I have sought to mitigate this tradition by working writers who had already been identified as leaders by their communities. Each of these writers has been or is Artistic Director of a significant theatre company. We have also commissioned these authors with the freedom to write on whatever topic or issue best addressed contemporary concerns about white privilege.
So hopefully this edition is an offer of a platform and solidarity as opposed to a curated perspective. Tweet at #cdncult if you have more thoughts on this.
During the recent Municipal election Toronto’s eventual mayor went on record saying he didn’t think white privilege exists. Reading from Tara Beagan’s piece on creating work about Missing and Murdered Women, Camyar Chai on the bias every ethnicity faces, and Marjorie Chan’s article on the #DeadcoonTO Wrecking Ball, it’s hard not to feel the Mayor has some on-the-job reconsidering to do.
If nothing else, this edition of #cdncult definitely exists.
