Project History
Project History
<p>The Shape of Trust emerged from over a decade of organizing for racial equity within the City of Seattle workforce. Much of that organizing has been led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) women, who are most impacted by racism, sexism, and other intersecting forms of oppression.</p>
<p>In 2017, staff from the City of Seattle's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), and Department of Human Resources (SDHR) began exploring ways that arts experiences could shift workplace culture away from behaviors and expectations that promote white supremacy and other forms of oppression.</p>
<p>We asked ourselves: how can visual arts, theater, music, movement, and mindfulness help cultivate these changes? How can we understand the power dynamics of race, gender, and other identities? And how can we use that knowledge to create racial equity in our workplace and communities?</p>
<p>Soon after, ARTS staff worked with acclaimed playwright Sara Porkalob to produce <em><a href="https://www.seattlechannel.org/videos?videoid=x85617" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real Talk</a>,</em> an original performance based on stories from BIPOC employees in the Seattle arts community. The concept was inspired by a similar project by Arts Workers for Equity (AWE) in Portland.</p>
<p>These seeds grew into the The Shape of Trust project.</p>
<p>In 2019, Porkalob wove accounts from City of Seattle employees, particularly BIPOC women, into an original performance that debuted on three Seattle stages for over 1,200 people. Their stories reveal patterns of struggle and strategy, disconnection and collaboration, leadership and change. They show how we must move towards behaviors that foster connection and belonging, and behaviors that match our stated values.</p>
<p>What's real and what's possible depend on our institutional cultures. Our ways of being, practices, and patterns uphold our decision-making and policy processes. We either consciously work together to create a culture of racial equity and belonging, or we inadvertently reinforce institutions that maintains the larger system of white supremacy.</p>
<p><img src="images/RSJI/Shape-of-Trust/RSJI-Shape-of-Trust-Cast-Web.png" title="images/RSJI/Shape-of-Trust/RSJI-Shape-of-Trust-Cast-Web.png" width="873" height="235" class="blockImg" alt="" /></p>
<p><em>The Shape of Trust</em> performance cast is Monique Aldred, Tricia Castaneda-Gonzales, Christi Cruz, Anasofia Gallegos, Aishé Keita, Ayo Tushinde, and Nina Williams-Teramachi.</p>