About the session

This session took place Tuesday 8 December 2020, 1-2pm AEDT.

Universities and training providers generally have policies that articulate support for the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, with staff required to undergo training to understand such policies at regular intervals. However, despite this and the best intentions of staff, it cannot be denied that students have experienced harmful behaviours in their training, ranging from issues touching on race, sexuality, gender, body shape, consent to touch, personal beliefs, neurotype and others; signifying a gap between intention and impact. This year, I collaborated with over 30 people, comprising students, alumni and colleagues from within and beyond the VCA and, with Jayde Kirchert, wrote guidelines for our teaching studios that define not only our intention to make our spaces safer and more inclusive, but offer practical ways to effect this change within the context of singing, dance and acting training. In this session, I will contextualise the formation of the guidelines within the broader context of an ongoing action plan towards cultural safety and describe the process of collaboration and consultation that led to the guidelines’ development, and their implementation in practice. In so doing, I will offer a process that could enable others to develop such a document specific to their setting, to promote practices that will be of benefit both in training and as students graduate into the profession.

About the speakers

• Margot Fenley

  Margot Fenley (trained: VCA Acting) works as an actor, academic and acting teacher. Theatre includes productions for the Victorian Arts Centre, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Windmill Performing Arts, Darlinghurst Theatre, The Stables, HotHouse, forty-five downstairs, Theatreworks, Napier Street and La Mama, amongst others. She has performed in guest roles on tv series and commercials and directed within the education and the independent sectors. Margot has been teaching for more than 25 years, including twelve years as Head of Music Theatre at the VCA (2007-20019), where she designed, created and led the Foundation, BFA, and Honours programs. These days she combines her continuing role as Senior Lecturer (Acting) within the Music Theatre department with other creative projects. Margot has also taught for MTC, Bell Shakespeare, Playbox (Malthouse), NIDA, Federation University, the National Theatre Drama School, St Martins, and within schools. She is currently completing an MFA (Theatre), exploring the use of Michael Chekhov technique for improvising, devising and writing solo performance. She’s been a proud Equity member since 1991.

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