Diversity and Inclusion at Duceppe Theatre: A Case to Approach to Diversity

(en anglais seulement)

Charlotte Blanche, Victoria Côté

Charlotte Blanche is an assistant professor of management at HEC Montreal. She is involved in the cultural management program and her research interests focus on cross-cultural management and diversity issues in the arts.
Victoria Côté is a cultural worker with a bachelor’s degree in art history (UQAM) and a master’s degree in management of cultural enterprises (HEC Montréal). She is currently working on the valorization of contemporary dance memories and practices at Espace Perreault Choreographic Transmission.

ABSTRACT
Outlining aims: This case seeks to present the experience of a Montreal theater aiming to embrace the cause of diversity and inclusion and transcend the challenges of presenting a more inclusive season. The article shows how a global organizational approach enables the theatre to engage concretely toward discrimination. Main conclusion: The interest is to present openness to diversity from the managerial responsibility of (1) positioning the company according to its stage of openness (2) making changes on the structural, political, human, and symbolic aspects (3) valuing the multiple identities of the participants in order to strengthen the links. Methodology used: The presented case has been restituted thanks to the collection of qualitative data and semi-structured interviews. Drawing on a cross-cultural management literature review, the article mobilizes concepts to analyze the presented case and theorize what could be identified as good practices for the theater milieu.

KEYWORDS
Cross-Cultural Management; Process; Cultural Synergy; Inclusion; Diversity; Theater