Plan of Action
Throughout our interviews, we were able to gather great pieces of advice and recommendations that we believe have the potential to be put into action.
Hire bilingual staff, especially Hartford residents:
Our community partners should consider hiring bilingual staff as well as community members. This would be a great first step at trying to create a space that promotes representation for the LatinX community because it involves bringing different people from the Hartford community into the Hartford Stage.
Produce bilingual programs:
The Hartford Stage should consider creating bilingual programs or brochures that detail the events that they are hosting, especially when they are culturally relevant.
Take theater into the community:
Our community partners should consider involving the community in their actual plays, whether it’s creating some sort of interactive theater or event for people to come and get to know how the theater world works. This would allow for more LatinX community member involvement within the arts.
Use gallery space to promote local artists:
Another great recommendation that was brought to our attention was for our community partners to turn their galleries into a space where Latin art can be exhibited. We learned through our data collection process that the Latin community does not have a designated space to exhibit their work, and most art creations that exist are very scattered. It would be a very thoughtful idea if our community partners could provide a space in which Latin Art can be displayed at its fullest potential. Most Latin artists expressed that they could not display their work because of how expensive and difficult it was. If our community partners were to take this into consideration and allow their galleries to be used, it would send out a meaningful message to the community they wish to serve. They could also consider hiring Latin artists to design their sets and form part of their artistic team.
Partner with public schools:
Additionally, a few organizations recommended that the Hartford Stage involve themselves in the Hartford Public Schools. A few organizations believe that the Hartford Stage should offer free/discounted tickets to students, or to create a partnership where the Hartford schools pay for discounted tickets for their students. This would give youth an opportunity to involve themselves further in not only the arts, but also the Hartford community. Students could even bring their parents or siblings to an event at the Hartford Stage. By doing this, it would also give more exposure to events that are happening at the Hartford Stage. Many interviewees mentioned that many LatinX community members do not really know what is going on at the Hartford Stage majority of the time, due to their busy lives. If the Hartford Stage were to involve themselves in the Hartford schools, students would be aware of upcoming events and could let their parents know whether they would like to attend or not.