Dear Backstage Community,
Today, we pause to reflect.
Every actor we’ve supported, creative voice we’ve spotlighted, and story we’ve told is and has been touched, inspired, and influenced by the artists in our Black and brown communities. As proud members of the performing industry, we continue our unwavering support in the #BlackLivesMatter and #BlackOutTuesday call to justice.
As a company, we’re actively planning for a better tomorrow and providing resources and monetary support where we can. More information will be provided in the coming days. Until then, Backstage will be donating $10,000 to organizations including the NAACP, Black Lives Matter, and Color of Change. We hope you’ll join us in continuing to loudly commit to the cause.
We’ll continue to fight to provide the resources needed to tell Black stories and experiences. We’ll continue to put actors and creators of color on our covers. And we’ll continue speaking to industry gatekeepers about what specifically they’re doing to move us forward. We know there is much more work to be done and we are going to continue playing our part.
As the starting point for many looking to bring their stories and themselves to the stage or the screen, we know the power of inclusive art and art-making. It’s why Backstage will facilitate even more conversations around how to change the casting biases around black, brown, and BIPOC actors within the entertainment and creative sectors in ways that emphasize talent over skin color. In all the ways we can, we’re making sure opportunity is open to all people and working with those in casting to help consider all members of our community.
Change has never come easily or quietly, and while we pause today in light of #BlackOutTuesday and a cause much bigger than just making art, our ongoing mission to provide platforms, hold space for, and actively champion Black and brown stories and inclusive casting, will not stop.
The Backstage Team