The Board of Directors of Circle Arts Theatre has come together to reflect on the events occurring in our country and in our community. We have worked hard to examine ourselves, our role in the community and how we can impact change.

At Circle Arts, we believe that communities benefit from the diversity of their people, and our theatre is no exception. Our storytelling is made more vibrant by the diversity of backgrounds and experiences of the staff, actors, crew, board of directors and others responsible for bringing these stories to life. Our theatre is committed to the work of equality, diversity and inclusion for all people, including Black artists and volunteers.

Entertainment is essential to our purpose, but we also have a responsibility to educate and inspire our community. In fact, our mission statement says just that: The mission of Circle Arts Theatre is to entertain, educate and inspire our community through exceptional theatre arts.

The pursuit of that mission requires us to continuously evaluate our choices, our perceptions and our actions. We acknowledge and regret our past mistakes, we applaud our successes, and we learn from both. And yes, we do both. We are human.

But it's our humanity that keeps us striving to improve, and we will. We acknowledge that there has been a historical diversity problem in theatre and will take concrete steps to support all people, including people of all races, ethnicities, genders, orientations and identities. We understand that we have a responsibility to take a good look in the mirror and recognize where we could have done better and how we can do more.

We will listen with open hearts to the pleas of those who need us to express their voice. We will work towards creating an artistic outlet and safe space for all members of our community. We will seek opportunities to give voice to important causes because education and inspiration is not just our mission, it's a must.

Education begins with us. We will educate ourselves on the needs, concerns and plight of others, especially our Black artists and volunteers. Inspiration begins with us. We will renew our determination to inspire all people to use the arts as a catalyst for change and a common ground for bringing together diverse populations. And we will continue to entertain, because the arts are essential to our humanity and to our community as a whole.

All Black lives matter. All Black artists matter. We see you. We hear you. We support you. We will do better.

The Board and Staff of Circle Arts Theatre