We witnessed artistic colleagues impacted by the injustices of anti-Black racism worldwide.  DUO reflects and unlearns from its own biases and joins the fight against all acts of racism and discrimination towards dance creatives from IBPOC, Deaf, and Disability Arts communities. Please join DUO in condemning white supremacy and challenging systemic and institutionalized forms of racism.

DUO struck a Diversity Committee in 2015 made up of board, staff, and community members tasked with creating a list of culturally diverse dance artists DUO had not worked with previously. The Executive Director undertook these outreach meetings with many diverse artists across the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario over the span of two years. As a result of this internal audit and our ongoing commitment to serving all equity-deserving artists and small to medium-sized organizations, DUO’s client roster is now more reflective of  Ontario’s diverse dance sector, with over 55% of our clients identifying as IBPOC and/or Deaf and Disabled. We understand there is more work to do to better represent the sector’s diversity, which has been disproportionately underrepresented and under-resourced. It takes more than words to dismantle the long-overdue injustices, and we are committed to support and enact real change.

Dance Umbrella of Ontario is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, language, citizenship, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, physical and/or mental handicap or financial ability. While remaining alert and sensitive to the issue of fair and equitable treatment for all, Dance Umbrella of Ontario has a special concern with the participation and advancement of members of four designated groups that have traditionally been disadvantaged in employment: women, visible minorities, aboriginal peoples, and persons with disabilities.