LINE DRAWN works to prevent harassment and abuse in New England performing arts. Founded in 2018 by IMPACT and StageSource, LINE DRAWN is a collaboration of performing arts organizations that have committed to a unified set of abuse prevention standards.
Theatre is a workplace unlike most others – it’s more intimate, more physical, and most jobs don’t last more than a few months. LINE DRAWN fits the unique realities of performing arts. It offers organizations of all sizes a set of practical, impactful tools to create a safer, more equitable environment.
THE LINE DRAWN COMMUNITY STANDARDS are a unified set of practices developed over three years by the New England performing arts community in collaboration with IMPACT Boston to address and prevent harassment. These nine standards were developed through a collaborative process of summits, surveys, and community meetings. By adopting at least eight of the nine standards, a company can receive a Line Drawn Designation.
HISTORY OF LINE DRAWN
LINE DRAWN began in 2018 after the results of a survey found that over 50% of theatre professionals had either witnessed or experienced sexual harassment or assault. Beyond that, over 70% said that they weren’t satisfied with how the organization responded.
To address this, IMPACT collaborated with StageSource to bring the performing arts community together for a series of Summits to learn from the community about their needs, concerns, and what gets in the way of effective prevention. The outcome was education and training, policy development, and support for developing organizational cultures that proactively prevent abuse.
LINE DRAWN COMPANIES
Actors’ Shakespeare Project
Central Square Theater
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Entropy Theatre
Fresh Ink Theatre
Gloucester Stage Company
Lyric Stage Company
Moonbox Stage
Open Theatre Project
SpeakEasy Stage Company
Front Porch Arts Collective
RESOURCES
- Collected Harassment-related policies & sample templates drafted by StageSource
- Not in Our House — Chicago Theatre Standards
- Not in Our House DC — DC Theatre Standards
- TCG — Theatre Communications Group sexual misconduct resource list
- AEA — Actors’ Equity Harassment Hotline
- International Federation of Actors (FIA)
- Intimacy Directors & Coordinators
- IDI’s 5 Pillars of Intimacy Practice
PAST WORK