New writing and touring theatre company Out of Joint has grabbed the inequality bull by the horns and made a commitment in respect of gender and minority representation in its work.
Over five years the company has committed that:
- 50% of actors in the company’s productions will be women
- at least 20% of actors will be from ethnic minorities
- 50% of plays will be commissioned from women
- at least 20% of plays will be commissioned from BAME writers.
Out Of Joint artistic director Max Stafford-Clark said, “we have a good record when it comes to female writers. 43 per cent of Out of Joint’s productions over our 23 years have been written by women, or 42 per cent if we look only at the plays we have commissioned. This will now rise to 50 per cent.
"As a company producing primarily new plays, we are in a strong position to be a standard bearer, ensuring better representation not only on today’s stages but also in the legacy of plays that we leave to future generations.”