Teaching Character to Build Character is more than a slogan to Black Box Theater Company (“BBTC”). Our mission is to utilize a variety of performing arts to bolster the self-confidence of today’s youth. We strive to create a collaborative environment where each participant and his or her family feels welcome, heard, and respected. Our goal is to guide our students through the creative process to enhance their confidence in other aspects of their lives, both socially and academically. By focusing on the process of creation, education, and balance, we can give our students a sense of accomplishment that stretches far beyond the walls of our little Black Box.

Application

This policy applies to:

• Employees
• Contracted staff
• Volunteers (including Board of Directors)
• Parents
• Students

General Guidelines

All persons listed above are expected to:

• Be polite, kind, inclusive, courteous, and respectful toward one another and to audience members/visitors to BBTC. All of those affiliated with BBTC are ambassadors in the community and our behavior must reflect such.
• Provide a safe and supportive environment for our students.
• Refrain from using inappropriate or offensive language while at BBTC or BBTC sanctioned events.
• Be respectful of BBTC’s premises and property (and any spaces and property BBTC may use). Please help to keep BBTC’s appearance clean, tidy, and professional.

Social Media

BBTC desires to promote free and open online communication, but at the same time desires to protect its students and staff, along with its image, brand, and goodwill. BBTC staff, contractors, students, parents, volunteers, board members, and other representatives are individually responsible for the content they publish on social media sites or anywhere online. As a social media user, you have the right to practice free speech online, but please do so in a respectful and responsible manner toward Black Box and its students, staff, and patrons. Exercise good judgment and common sense when creating posts, or when commenting on others’ posts as they pertain to BBTC. Published content may be online for an indefinite period of time.

Certain staff members and representatives have ongoing permission to post content on behalf of BBTC. If you question whether or not you should post content related to BBTC (other than content as it pertains to your own child/ren/student), please ask the Executive Director or President of the Board prior to doing so. Please be aware that certain parents may not have given permission for their child’s image to be published online, and be certain to check with BBTC staff prior to posting items of this nature.

Positive Representation

In addition to your online presence, please be aware you are a steward of BBTC and its mission. Therefore, at all events related to BBTC and when speaking or writing about BBTC please remember to represent yourself and BBTC with respect.

Anti-Discrimination Policy

BBTC is committed to maintaining an environment free from discrimination, victimization, harassment, and bullying. This Code of Conduct sets out the behavior that we expect from our staff, contractors, students, parents, volunteers, board members, and other representatives.

We aim to ensure that all affiliated with BBTC receive equal treatment irrespective of:

• Gender (including gender identification)
• Marital or civil partnership status
• Sexual orientation
• Race, skin color, ethnic, or national origins
• Religious beliefs
• Pregnancy
• Disability

All of our casting decisions will be made without discrimination other than where there is a genuine requirement to do so for artistic reasons.

Harassment

Harassment generally consists of unwanted conduct (based on one or more of the previously mentioned characteristics) which has the purpose or effect of:

• Violating a person’s dignity; and/or
• Creating an intimidating, hostile, unsafe, degrading, or offensive environment

It is irrelevant whether the alleged harassment is intentional or not. The following are examples of harassment. This list is intended as a guide and is not exhaustive:

• Physical conduct – unwanted touching of any sort;
• Verbal conduct – unwelcome advances, critical nicknames, innuendo, insults, or abusive/inappropriate language
• Non-verbal conduct – the display or sharing of inappropriate or suggestive images, offensive or abusive gestures or objects, or written material (other than in connection with a production for artistic purposes)
• Bullying – offensive, intimidating, insulting, humiliating, or demeaning behavior which attempts to undermine an individual.

BBTC staff, contractors, students, volunteers, or parents shall never intentionally harass, bully or otherwise harm another person affiliated with BBTC. This includes inappropriate physical contact. Private one-on-one interaction that is not viewable by another individual should be avoided between any persons affiliated with BBTC (other than family members or those students with prior permission from parents/guardians). Similarly, private 1:1 contact such as telephone, texting, and social media messaging between staff and students should not occur without prior parental permission and only for reasons necessary to BBTC business.

If another person associated with BBTC is being harassed, bullied, or otherwise physically or emotionally harmed, or if private contact is occurring, immediately report the situation to supervising staff, and then the Executive Director and/or the President of the Board.

Drug-Free Environment

BBTC is a substance-free environment. Drugs and alcohol are prohibited on BBTC property and events. Staff members and volunteers are prohibited from consuming, distributing, possessing, selling, or using controlled substances while performing their duties as a BBTC representative. In addition, employees and volunteers may not be under the influence of any controlled substance, such as drugs or alcohol, while at work and/or volunteering, on company premises, or engaged in BBTC business. Prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications, taken as prescribed, are an exception to this policy. BBTC reserves the right to require drug screening prior to, or at any time during, an employee’s/staff member’s period of employment with BBTC in accordance with local law, federal law, and the laws of the state of Indiana.

Staff members that violate this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Volunteers or other representatives of BBTC who violate this policy in the course of their service to BBTC may be asked to leave a BBTC event or premises and/or asked not to return to BBTC, depending on the severity of the situation.

Confidentiality

Employees and contracted staff are not permitted at any time to disclose confidential or proprietary information about BBTC or to disclose private information about BBTC patrons, students, employees, contractors, board members, or partners without their consent.

Grievance Procedure

For complaints or violations of any of the above policies or procedures by any individual affiliated with BBTC, whether employee, contractor, volunteer, parent, or student, please report in writing to the Executive Director or President of the Board at: executivedirector@blackboxtheatreco.com or president@blackboxtheatreco.com.

Complaints/violations will be reported to the Board of Directors and addressed as appropriate, up to and including termination in the case of a contractor/employee.

Last updated 1/5/22