Like so many others around the world we, at Maya Productions, have been saddened, shocked and angered by the killing of George Floyd, and the injustice and systemic racism that it reveals continuing to perpetuate in the USA, UK, and around the world.
As an organisation we are committed to using our creative practice to challenge the racism that is part of our society and leads to the injustice we continue to witness.
Maya Productions was set up 25 years ago to give a platform and a voice to Black and Asian playwrights and creatives whose work was not being represented in mainstream theatre. As writers, directors and creatives we believe that there is power in the stories we choose to tell, they help shape the world around us. Who we include, or marginalise in that process makes a difference.
Today the creative sector still struggles to give space and a voice to the rich diversity of people that live, work and contribute in our society.
We are a small organisation and the work that we do can feel like a drop in the ocean compared to the sea of change that is needed. But the recent events demonstrate for us at Maya the need to keep creating change where we can. So we renew our commitment to:-
Championing artists and communities of colour.
Challenging unhelpful narratives and stereotypes that exist around Black and Brown People and Culture.
Questioning the conscious and unconscious bias that prevents the workforce in the arts from being truly diverse.
Inviting white people to join us in positive action so that inclusion and diversity can be the responsibility of us all.
We extend our sympathy to the relatives and friends of George Floyd. We stand in solidarity with all those affected by recent events and the ongoing struggle for racial justice.
#BlackLivesMatter