We at TPS want to live in a world where…

• Artists can live sustainably as artists in our community.
• Representation is not an afterthought.
• Every person in the Puget Sound is positively affected by theatre.
• There is no dominant culture as gatekeeper to space, resources, decision-making, and programming.
• Theatre is not a privilege, but the norm.
• Theatre is integral to our lives in community.
• Theatre does not have to justify its existence, even in an economic downturn.
• Theatre is necessary for the health and growth of our community and our world.

TPS is committed to examining our work through an equity lens and offers meaningful support to those organizations working to do the same. It is essential work for the health of our organization and the fabric of our society.

TPS acknowledges that this organization is on the traditional lands of the Duwamish People and borders the waters shared by the Coast Salish Villages of Puget Sound. 

As guests to this land, we would like to pay our respect to the Duwamish people as the custodians of this land, both past and present.

We also recognize and acknowledge all the First Nation bands, tribes, and peoples throughout the Puget Sound Region who evolved complex cultural, social, and economic structures, which the invasion of non-Native settlers almost erased, but which continue today as the tribes struggle for their survival, respect, and renewal.

We recognize their heritage and relationship to their native land, and acknowledge they were forced from this land by the trustees of the first incorporation of Seattle without providing a reservation.

We will continue to examine our part in the history of colonialism and our systems of oppression that are still present today. TPS invites you to take this opportunity to commit yourselves to working against these systems by confronting our place on this land and by finding actions to disrupt settler colonialism.

While this acknowledgement does not take the place of authentic relationships with Indigenous communities, it serves as a first step in honoring the land we occupy.

**Take concrete actions, talk about that, invite others.

More information on Native Acknowledgement:

While much of our programming is focused on the theatre community, the impact of our services extends to the larger arts community in the Puget Sound region. Our membership includes more than 1,600 individual artists and 140 performing arts organizations. In addition, our Space for the Arts program and educational programming serves more than 200 non-theatre arts organizations and innumerable individual artists annually. Our membership and program participants span the region, from Olympia to Everett and the Eastside to the Peninsula.

Through our collaborative marketing and audience development initiatives we also serve the general public in the Puget Sound region by providing consistent and comprehensive information through our online performance calendar.

We strive to create a public that feels more invited, informed and educated, while simultaneously fostering healthier, more vibrant arts organizations that are deeply engaged with their neighbors and community. We hope to see a fusion of shared interests between our arts organizations and their communities – creating a sense of ownership that propels our arts venues to become true communal hubs where both residents and artists collectively gather to share stories and experiences.

We are creating more visible, thoughtful, articulate and engaged arts organizations with clearly communicated values and a dedication to community investment. These organizations are better positioned to both attract and retain new audiences and be sustainable resources for their communities.