AMERICAN THEATRE: Less than one percent of the designs on Broadway during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons were created by Latinx designers, despite people of that ethnicity representing 19 percent of the U.S. population, according to data compiled by the 1/52 Project, a grant program that seeks to redress this kind of disparity. While women designers and folks of other ethnicities saw slightly higher representation rates than their Latinx counterparts, white male designers were still credited with nearly three-quarters of the designs crafted over those two seasons.
2 comments:
It is really upsetting to learn that ¾ of designs on Broadway over two seasons are still credited to white males, and it is even more upsetting to learn that only 1 percent of these designs were created by Latinx designers. This disparity is so frustrating and needs to be fixed. I am so glad to know that there is a grant program like the 1/52 Project. It is great to hear that there are people out there volunteering their time and money to early-career designers to make sure that they get an equal opportunity and chance in the industry. I think that it is incredible that Beowulf Boritt, the founder of the 1/52 Project, went out of his way to make sure that there were women and people of color setting up this grant program to make it as inclusive and effective as possible. It’s so great to hear and learn about all of the wonderful success stories that people were able to have with this project. Sometimes, people just need a little support to pursue the projects that they truly want to be a part of and create.
I love hearing about grants and programs like this. I think if we are going to be throwing money at things to fix problems this isn’t the worst thing we could be throwing money at you know. It's still so astonishing to me to be seeing the statistics in the article. 19% of the US population is represented by those who identify as Latinx and yet less than one percent of that we see in Broadway designs. That's why I think that grants like this that not only recognize upcoming talent but provide something for them so that they may grow are essential to diversify the shows we see and the production for them. I love the quote in the article saying “No one is owed a career in the theater, but it shouldn’t be harder because you are not a woman or are not white.” I think it is great that this designer Boritt is thinking about their privilege in such a healthy manner. And I like how programs like these allow for people who maybe would not think of giving back exactly like this an opportunity to participate in a good cause
Post a Comment