European inventory of
societal values of culture

Walo – Diversity and inclusion at the theatre: Reflections on the debate in Zürich

Walo, S. (2023). Diversity and inclusion at the theatre: Reflections on the debate in Zürich. Link to report

This case study examines the diversity politics of a prominent theatre in Zürich, Switzerland, and the corresponding public debate. Based on the example of Schauspielhaus, the study tries to answer the following questions: What is diversity in the context of a theatre? How can it be achieved? What are potential problems or trade-offs? And what can policymakers learn from all this? To answer these questions, it examines various aspects of
diversity regarding the theatre’s staff, its program, its audience, and its communication. Its main conclusions are: (1) The concept of diversity can be applied to various areas of a theatre, and various criteria can be relevant in each area. However, defining these criteria can be controversial. (2) Not much is known yet about best practices to promote diversity at a theatre. More research is therefore needed in this area. (3) Creating permanent positions for diversity agents at theatres may be a promising step toward achieving more diversity.