Advisory Committees

As senior leadership (Artistic Director, André Lewis and Executive Director, Elena Tupyseva), we sincerely apologize to the members of the former Indigenous Advisory Circle for the exclusion experienced as a result of our actions and our inaction, which have not embraced principles of reconciliation. 

We recognize that an apology without action is of little value to the members of the former Indigenous Advisory Circle. We also understand the importance of cultivating an environment rooted in authenticity and humility. We have committed to engaging in ongoing anti-racism education to increase cultural literacy within our organization. We are taking the time to unlearn and learn deeply from this experience and are fully committed to repairing the harm through meaningful organizational change and relationship building.

We are undertaking a third-party review to inform changes that will move our organization forward and will be revising our procedures and policies to ensure they reflect equitable practices. These steps are necessary to lay a foundation for future partnerships that are built on authentic relationships, trust, and mutual respect.

We respect the decision of the former Indigenous Advisory Circle members to dissolve the Circle, and we acknowledge and thank the members of the former Indigenous Advisory Circle for the significant contributions they made to our organization. 

We recognize that the road ahead will require ongoing commitment to achieve meaningful change. We are dedicated to doing the necessary work to rebuild the trust of Indigenous communities, to build an organization that functions equitably and actively demonstrates our meaningful commitment to reconciliation.