Leading up to and reinforcing the session today at APAP|NYC+ 2021, "Calling for Radical Change: A Fieldwide Conversation: An Invitation to Ethical and Equitable Partnership", APAP introduces the first publicly released draft of "An Invitation to Build Equitable Partnerships in the Performing Arts".

This living, breathing document, presented by APAP, is the result of many months of on-going work by the APAP Equitable Partnership Working Group. In July 2020, APAP formed a task force composed of representative members from across the field, originally formed to review and develop a guide for equitable practices in contract and force majeure agreements. As we proceeded, we began to realize that the discussions around force majeure were actually reflective of bigger questions about our field.

We found ourselves circling a more universal question: What collective foundations must we share in order to ensure equitable, long-term partnerships in the arts? The sustainable future of our shared arts ecosystem is at stake. If enough artists, managers and independent producers simply can’t survive and stay in our community, it will severely damage the entire industry long term. Survival of the fittest does not have to dictate our future. We have a chance now to build it back better, together. This is an invitation to do just that.