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Green Thumb Theatre

Anti-Oppression & Anti-Harassment Policy

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Policy Adopted 9 June 2021

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As a touring company, Green Thumb Theatre’s work often takes place throughout the traditional homelands of most of the Indigenous Nations and cultures across British Columbia and beyond. Green Thumb's offices are located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwxw̱ ú7mesh (Squamish), and səlí̓lwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

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Policy Statement

The Board of Directors of Green Thumb Theatre (“Green Thumb”) believe that fundamental to the organization, is the establishment of a safe, inclusive, and welcoming working and learning environment. The promotion of principles of anti-oppression, decolonization and anti-racism for all members of the community, staff, Board of Directors and artists is of paramount importance. It is the responsibility of Green Thumb, as a leader in youth theatre, to model and teach ethical and equitable interactions in all aspects of the organization. Green Thumb is committed to working actively with the larger performing arts community to create respectful working environments at every stage of artistic production. We understand that in order to demonstrate our commitment to transformation and anti-oppression, we must move from principles to action. We hope that the Green Thumb community can use this policy as both a framework and catalyst for tangible action and transformation. As this policy is a living document, we invite feedback from the Green Thumb community to assist us in constantly improving our anti- oppressive practices.

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The B.C. Human Rights Code supersedes this document, and can be found here: https://bchumanrights.ca/human-rights/human-rights-in-bc/

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Green Thumb will work to prevent any actions or behaviors that are racist, oppressive, aggressive, micro- aggressive or that incite hatred, prejudice, discrimination, bullying or harassment. 

Green Thumb will provide ongoing professional development opportunities for staff and the Board of Directors, to develop the awareness, knowledge, skills, tools and attitudes necessary to identify and address oppressive or discriminatory behaviours. 

This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis so that our work reflects the evolving attitudes, expectations and professional standards in our industry and broader society. Green Thumb’s leadership and Board of Directors will actively work to stay abreast of changing practices. We are open to guidance and suggestions about areas that deserve our attention and/or improvement. 

Below are the procedures we have put in place to respond to such instances. 

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Procedures 

The objective of this complaint resolution mechanism is to ensure that human rights, discrimination, oppression and harassment related issues at Green Thumb are brought to the attention of the organization and are appropriately dealt with. 

1. Complaints may be brought forward by any person who believes they have witnessed or been subject to harassment and/or discrimination. Complaints may be made verbally or in writing.
   
2. When a complainant is comfortable, they can address their complaint directly with the person who is the source of the offending behaviour. They can also request the support of the General Manager, Artistic Director and/or a member of the Board of Directors to be present at the meeting, if desired.
   
3. When a complainant does not want to address their complaint directly with the person who is the source of the offending behaviour, the General Manager, Artistic Director, and/or a member of the Board of Directors will be responsible to support and facilitate a resolution to the complaint.
   
4. Complaints should first be made to the General Manager or the Artistic Director, who can be contacted at the following email addresses:
   General Manager: gm@greenthumb.bc.ca
   Artistic Director: artdirector@greenthumb.bc.ca
   
5. If the complainant does not feel comfortable with the General Manager or Artistic Director, complaints should be made to the Board of Directors, at the following email address: bod@greenthumb.bc.ca
   
6. If determined necessary, by either the General Manager, or the Board of Directors, a third-party may be engaged to facilitate a resolution and/or reconciliation.
   
7. Whenever possible, the goal will be that of a reconciliation between the parties involved.
   
8. Final decisions on the outcomes of the resolution will rest with the General Manager, in consultation with the Artistic Director, or with the Board of Directors, if the complaint was made to them.
   
9. Investigation and resolution of complaints will be handled in a timely, responsive and sensitive manner, respectful of all parties, with appropriate regard for genuine reconciliation. Green Thumb will do the best we can, with the resources available, to communicate actively with the complainant throughout the process.
   

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The privacy and confidentiality of Green Thumb’s employees, contractors, artists, volunteers and Board of Directors is paramount. Complaints and the resolution or outcome of complaints shall be treated with discretion and confidentiality. Any correspondence or other documents that may be created or may arise under these procedures and related policies shall be marked “PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL” and shall be stored in a locked and secure file. Any such documentation will not be entered into employment files. 

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