PBN Diversity Equity & Inclusion 2023 Awards
Arts & Entertainment: Trinity Repertory Company
FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, Monique Austin has been deepening discussions around diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism at Trinity Repertory Company, Rhode Island’s Tony Award-winning theater troupe.
As the director of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, she and Human Resources Manager Montana Palmer work hand in hand listening to staff and providing opportunities for them to come together as a community comprised of a diverse mix of individuals.
Austin said that her approach in connecting with employees began with listening. “We started simply by asking people what they need,” Austin said. “We want to know what they want to talk about, what concerns they have. Then we can connect them, encourage their participation and provide resources.”
At the height of its performance season, Providence-based Trinity Rep employs more than 200 team members in a wide range of roles from the production crew behind the scenes to the administrative staff based in a separate building and the creative team of artists who bring the theater’s plays to life on stage.
Among Trinity Rep’s 11 senior leadership roles, eight of them are held by women. Approximately 65% of the theater’s workforce identifies as being LGBTQIA+. Additionally, Trinity Rep recently hired a community engagement director to both bring the community to the theater and the theater out into the community.
The new director is currently building relationships to bring new groups, including Indigenous people, people in recovery, and those with sexual trauma and abuse history, to experience performances at Trinity Rep.
Diversity and inclusion at Trinity Rep covers much more than race. Employee resource groups support and provide resources to team members who may be LGBTQIA+, people of color, or neurodivergent. Even working parents have a network of peers.
“We’re here to help staff connect with one another,” Austin said. “Then we let them figure out where it goes from there. Often, it’s just a matter of knowing who else is in your space so that you can feel part of something bigger.”
From her perspective in HR, Palmer believes that one key to creating a more inclusive work environment is providing staff with a safe space to discuss issues that concern them.
“Monique and I give staff an inordinate amount of access to us both, bringing HR and EDIA together for them,” Palmer said. “That’s true across the board with our leadership. As a result, employees feel comfortable discussing their concerns with us and one another.”
Austin and Palmer recognize that everyone in the organization is passionate about their work and that it’s vital for everyone to feel that their contributions are valuable no matter their role.
That openness extends outside of the theater’s four walls into its relationships with other organizations. One example is Trinity Rep’s success in developing a talent pipeline through Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, an organization connecting unemployed and underemployed Rhode Islanders to businesses with staffing needs.
Particularly impactful, SkillsRI’s workABILITY initiative has assisted the theater in becoming more inclusive in its hiring.
“The SkillsRI program has been truly helpful in increasing diversity at Trinity Rep,” Austin said. “The people we’ve hired have become important members of our team.”
In collaboration with SkillsRI, Trinity Rep has recruited and provided accommodations to individuals with disabilities who work across a range of departments, including facilities, housekeeping, house services, marketing and operations.
“I had an inkling of the lengths they were willing to go to make these placements work, but they’ve been just incredible,” SkillsRI Senior Manager of Supported Employment Danna Spencer said.
Speaking about the workABILITY program, Palmer said that thanks to SkillsRI’s efforts, placement was “the easiest part.” More importantly, Palmer says, the organization offered resources such as training and workshops for Trinity Rep’s staff, which are so valuable as the theater troupe moves toward becoming more inclusive.
“The folks at Trinity are the gift that keeps on giving,” Spencer said. “They have been so creative and willing to find new ways to give people with disabilities opportunities to learn and grow and develop their talents.”
Together, the two nonprofit organizations will continue to look for opportunities to place people who are the right fit in a variety of roles.
