December Update

DECEMBER UPDATE from Rebecca KellyG

Hello EST,

It was so nice to connect with many of you at the Annual Meeting, and I look forward to seeing more of you through the Focus Groups! As an update, I’m having a baby and will be on maternity leave from Monday, Dec 21 through the month of January. Yejin and I will be in contact, and she will be available to answer all of your questions during that time.

In this newsletter, you will find information on:

1. Updates on Survey II

2. Focus Groups

3. Feedback Form

4. Food for Thought
   

1. Survey II

Thank you for your reflections and insights on Survey II EST Leadership and Power! We are so grateful to the 167 of you that shared your illuminating perspectives of the future of EST. Your reflections will be used to inform next steps in equity and leadership.

2. Focus Groups

What is the purpose of a focus group?

A guided zoom discussion organized to 1) gain deeper feedback pertaining to equity in EST culture and community and  2) engage in collective visioning for leadership. Information and insights gathered from these sessions will be used to inform strategies for moving forward.  

What Focus Groups are available? 

The final focus groups below were determined based on feedback and requests from the community. So far we had a meeting of the 50+ Focus Group. The remaining groups are listed below. All groups are still open for people to sign up. The LGBTQIA Focus Group has a set date. The Women’s and BIPOC Focus Groups are still in the process of selecting a date:

1. LGBTQIA+

   1. Meeting Date: Wednesday, January 6th from 5-7:30pm EST

   2. If you would like to join this group, please email Yejin at Yejin@rebeccakellyg.com

   3. This sign-up form is for members of the EST community who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and others along this spectrum. Please do not sign up for this group if you are not a member of this community.

2. BIPOC

   1. We are still selecting a meeting date for this Focus Group. If you are interested in participating, click the link HERE, and respond with your contact info and availability.

   2. This group is for people in the EST community who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or Person of Color (BIPOC). Please do not sign up for this group if you are not a member of this community.

3. Women

   1. We are still selecting a meeting date for this Focus Group. If you are interested in participating, click the link HERE, and respond with your contact info and availability.

   2. This group is for people in the EST community who identify as women. Please do not sign up for this group if you are not a member of this community.

If you have a problem with the registration link or a question about Focus Groups please email me at Rebecca@rebeccakellyg.com and cc Yejin Lee, Yejin@rebeccakellyg.com

3. Feedback Form

In addition to the various spaces for written and verbal feedback, you can also offer your views here. This google form is a place for you to offer any additional feedback you may have forgotten to mention or new ideas/experiences since our last connection. Your responses will be received exclusively by me and Yejin and used to inform next steps. We may follow up with you if we are unclear on your feedback or have further questions.

4. Food for Thought

Each monthly newsletter offers resources or concepts to deepen understanding of our work together.

This month, I’m sharing an article from American Theater Magazine: “Rerouting the Casting Pipeline- Greater diversity onstage is only going to happen when theatre’s hidden gatekeepers are more diverse too” by Jerald Raymond Pierce. Take a read and consider how this may apply to EST and what ideas it inspires or affirms for you.

Until next month,

Rebecca KellyG