Diversity & Gender Equality
ETC's DIVERSITY IN THEATRE PROGRAMME
Continuing our work to expand the European Theatre canon and offer new opportunities for emerging writers, audiences and invisibilised artists.
ETC’s award-winning Young Europe programme for young audiences returns for a fifth edition, based on a ‘Dramaturgy of Care’. We will also work to further the practical application of gender balance and diversity to European theatre practices.
Read ETC's latest academic study, Gender Equality in European Theatres and Artistic Programmes 2024
Gender Inequalities Persist in European Theatre Despite Individual Efforts, ETC Study Finds
Positive steps towards gender equality in European theatres are not yet enough to overcome a “predominantly male environment,” a new study finds.
Gender Equality in European Theatres and Artistic Programmes 2024, written for the European Theatre Convention (ETC) network of theatres by researchers from UC Louvain in Belgium, provides a snapshot of gender equality in theatre workforces and on stages by analysing data from 13 ETC theatres in 11 countries.
It finds that while gender parity “has been achieved” at staff and management levels by these theatres—and welcomes decisions to introduce new training courses or deliberately programme shows on gender issues—these developments are balanced against the continued dominance of men in senior leadership and decision-making positions.
April 2024
Young Europe IV Culminates with a Festival in Nova Gorica
Nearly 200 theatre professionals, directors and artists gathered at Slovene National Theatre Nova Gorica from 17-21 April 2024 for the two ETC events, collectively named ‘The Young. The Bold. Break the Mould’.
The European Theatre Convention (ETC) is proud to announce the successful close of 'The Young. The Bold. Break The Mould', the name for the Young Europe IV Festival and ETC International Theatre Conference, held from 17-21 April 2024 at Slovene National Theatre Nova Gorica.
The four-day international event was a resounding success, bringing together nearly 200 theatre professionals, directors, and artists, drawn from the European Theatre Convention (ETC) network, for discussions and networking on diversity in European theatre.
Find out more about Young Europe IV
19-21 April 2023
Young Europe IV Convenes in Braunschweig Ahead of Festival
Playwrights, dramaturgs & artistic mentors came together for enriching exchanges and collaborations at Staatstheatre Braunschweig.
December 2022
Young Europe IV wins Art Explora – Académie des Beaux-Arts European award!
The ETC project was selected for its innovation in access to culture, and rewarded with a €50,000 prize!
Young Europe IV, an activity co-funded by the European Union, brings 9 theatres from 7 countries together to co-create plays that come alive for young people and transcend national, cultural and even language barriers.
This edition focuses on the non-dominant voices in our societies as a challenge to the dominance of the white, heterosexual, male perspective in European theatre literature.
May 2022
Young Europe IV Partner Meeting & Kick Off
Ahead of the ETC International Theatre Conference in Prague in May 2022, the Young Europe IV partners, theatres, writers and mentors gathered for workshops and a kick-off meeting.
September 2021
Young Europe IV Starts!
Young Europe IV is a 3-year programme devoted to expanding the canon of European theatre literature, by highlighting "forgotten" plays and by writing new ones for young audiences.
European theatre literature is dominated by the white, heterosexual, male perspective. With Young Europe IV, which runs from 2021-24, we explicitly focus on the non-dominant voices in our societies, on stories that aren’t told or could be told more often.
9 theatres from 7 countries are participating in the project, which will see eight new texts on diverse, inclusive themes written for young audiences.
The playwrights are guided, provoked and challenged in their writing process by mentors from across the European theatre scene.
The classroom plays will be performed at participating theatres during the final year of the project (2023/24) before being featured at a festival in 2024.
The project is part of TRANSFORMATIONS, ETC's programme of activities from 2021-24, which is co-funded by the European Union.
April 2021
Use the Assessment Grid
A key element of the ETC Gender Equality and Diversity Study is the Assessment Grid which can be used by all theatres to begin / improve their tracking of workplace diversity.
March 2021
Gender Equality & Diversity in European Theatres - A Study
On 8 March 2021, International Womens Day, ETC published a major study on gender equality and diversity that covered theatres in 22 countries, 4000 theatre employees, and an analysis of 650 performances.
KEY FINDINGS:
- Women were found to have less secure contract situations than men and be “less present at the top of the hierarchy”
- Results found a “noteworthy” absence of people from minority backgrounds in staff at ETC member theatres
- Men are more visible than women in theatre programmes and dominate the “prestigious positions” of playwright, director and technical staff, while women held 70+% of the positions of “costumes” and “hairdressing”
- “Remarkable” gender impact of decision makers in theatre revealed: “Female authors and directors demonstrate a clear trend towards gender equality compared to their male colleagues, who are in the majority and who make men more visible.”
December 2018
ETC Code of Conduct for European Theatres
ETC Members voted and adhered to a code of conduct principles to ensure equal opportunities and a diverse artistic theatrical expression.
Theatre is an essential part of Europe’s cultural diversity. We present artistic visions and reflections of our world on stage, thriving to be a mirror of our rich diversity in society. We believe in diversity and freedom of expression in a society that offers equal opportunities to all citizens, including people with disabilities, to lead a fulfilling life, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, ethnic, social, religious or philosophical backgrounds.
Theatre is a cultural heritage and contributes to the contemporary cultural diversity in European society. As art form relevant to reflect the developments of human and societal issues, we as theatre makers, as representatives of public art institutions, believe that it is our role to ensure equal opportunities and a diverse artistic theatrical expression, considering the diverse realities of the cities and countries we live in.
We are committed to move toward equality and greater diversity in our theatres and adhere to the following ‘Diversity in Action’ code of conduct principles:
○ Ensure gender equality and increased diversity amongst theatre staff employees;
○ Reflect gender and diversity across artistic creation and programming;
○ Invest in training allowing equal opportunities for gender and diversity minority groups;
○ Ensure equal pay across gender;
○ Set forward clear objectives in our theatre’s artistic and management plans.
Autumn 2019
Academic Study on Diversity and Gender Equality
ETC has commissionned an academic study on diversity and gender equality in the European public theatres, based on quantitative surveys in the ETC member theatres (data overview on the diversity in leadership, teams, programmes and audience) as well as qualitative research based on a questionnaire sent to ETC member theatre representatives (concrete measures already taken or encountered difficulties).
Autumn 2019
Structured Dialogue Sessions with Voices of Culture
ETC has been selected with 34 other participants to take part in Voices of Culture dialogue on gender balance in the cultural and creative sector.
2014
The Art of Ageing
The Art of Ageing is an artistic project which aims at bringing the burning issue of our ageing societies and the resulting challenges via innovative art creation and theatre co-production to international audiences.
By creating visibility and awareness, The Art of Ageing develops new perspectives and approaches to position artistic research in the current international, multidisciplinary scientific and socio-political discourse between Western- and Eastern European artists, scientists and audiences on demographic changes.
The European Theatre Convention initiated this project under the patronage of the artist Etel Adnan (87) and with the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union.
