History

Established in 1986, the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts is a not-for-profit advocacy organization whose purpose is to address and seek solutions to the problems of racism and exclusion in theatre, film and television.  The only organization of its kind in the country, the Alliance’s principal concerns are that artists who are African American, Asian American, Caribbean Black, South Asian, Latino, Arab American, Persian American, Native American, Deaf and hard of hearing, blind and low vision, artists who have mobility disabilities, physical disabilities or developmental disabilities are denied equitable professional opportunities; and that this exclusion is not only patently discriminatory, but a serious loss to the cultural life of the nation.  Furthermore, this exclusion has resulted in a theatre, film and television industry that does not accurately reflect the diversity of our society.

To Date, the Alliance has established the following programs:

• Two national conferences on non-traditional casting and cultural diversity; nine regional conferences in Washington, DC, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, Toronto, Rochester and Hartford; 170 forums, panels and seminars with professional, community and educational institutions;
• A national newsletter, New Traditions;
• New Traditions Compendium, Forums & Commentaries: 1992-1996: A compilation of thirty-eight articles taken from the first four years of the New Traditions newsletter;
• A national Consulting and Information Program.  Whether working with an institution through the process of becoming inclusive, advising public agencies on issues of cultural diversity or providing research materials for journalists, educators and students, consulting is a key feature of Alliance activity;
• Roundtables:  Alliance sponsors two series of roundtables, one focusing on theatre and the other on film and television.  The purpose of the roundtables is to deepen the dialogue regarding diversity, to expand our understanding of the issues related to it through the candid exchange of personal views and to build an expanding group of leaders in the profession committed to resolve these issues.  The theatre roundtables are co-sponsored by Actors’ Equity, the League of American Theatres and Producers, SSDC, SDC Foundation, The Dramatist Guild and the Casting Society of America and are hosted by B. Smith’s restaurant in New York City.  The film and television roundtables are held in New York; they are co-sponsored by the Screen Actors Guild’s Affirmative Action/Diversity Campaign and the Casting Society of America;
• Production of a book, Beyond Tradition, an educational video tape, Breaking Tradition, and an Ethnic Playwrights Listing;
  
  The Alliance has been recognized for its work with an OBIE in 1987, a New England Theatre Conference award in 1992, a New York City Mayor’s Very Special Arts award in 1993, a Drama Desk award in 1995 and the Rosetta LeNoire Award in 2001.

Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts receives support from The Shubert Foundation, Actors’ Equity Association, Actors’ Equity Foundation, Screen Actors Guild-Producers Industry Advancement and Cooperative Fund, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists – Industry Cooperative Fund, Max & Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, The Walt Disney Company, Lee and Lawrence J. Ramer Foundation, Edith Meiser Foundation, Altria Group, Inc., The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc., and Radio City Entertainment.