“Sustenida for Equality” – Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Statements
As a racially diverse, female-led opera company, we at Opera Sustenida are well aware, and have often experienced firsthand, the results of systemic racism, sexism, ageism, and other forms of discrimination which exist in our field and in the current global climate.
As a company, we strive to minimize this effect by offering equal opportunity auditions for all voice types, ages, and genders, with a focus on supporting the work and livelihoods of Canadian artists (citizens and landed immigrants) and arts workers. Our hiring practices are based upon artistic merit of performers as well as their work ethic.
We are proud to have included Canadian artists and community singers from a wide variety of ages, gender expressions, and racial backgrounds in past projects and will continue to do so as we move forward as a company.
Opera Sustenida adheres to the Ontario Human Rights Code and prohibits discrimination or harassment based on the following grounds, and any combination of these grounds:
- Age
- Creed (religion)
- Sex (including pregnancy and breastfeeding)
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity
- Gender expression
- Family status (such as being in a parent-child relationship)
- Marital status (including married, single, widowed, divorced, separated or living in a conjugal relationship outside of marriage, whether in a same-sex or opposite-sex relationship)
- Disability (including mental, physical, developmental or learning disabilities)
- Race
- Ancestry
- Place of origin
- Ethnic origin
- Citizenship
- Colour
- Record of offences (criminal conviction for a provincial offence, or for an offence for which a pardon has been received)
- Association or relationship with a person identified by one of the above grounds
- Perception that one of the above grounds applies.
Should any person (artist, arts worker, community member, support staff, etc) involved in an Opera Sustenida project feel they have been subjected to any form of the above-listed discrimination, whether from a member of Opera Sustenida or a fellow artist/worker within the project, they may approach a(nother) member of Opera Sustenida with their concerns. Any accusations of discrimination will be examined with the utmost seriousness within the remaining (or all, if applicable) members of Opera Sustenida until a satisfactory reconciliation has been reached for all parties. The accuser will remain anonymous by default unless they request otherwise.