IMAGE: Drawing by Phelin.
NOTES: I am not a theatre professional, nor am I BAME or LGBTQI+. I called a session that I wanted to attend and hoped someone else would take it over, but no one did. So here we are... Capital letters for notes from the paper. Everything else is from memory to provide context. Comment or Email additions or corrections. My email is [email protected].

THE LANGUAGE / LABELLING CREATES HOMOGENISATION.

-Kamaal brought some of a previous session in "How do we break out of the alphabet soup?"
https://www.devotedanddisgruntled.com/Blog/bame-lgbtqia-how-do-we-break-out-of-the-alphabet-soup-446
"It is inherently offensive to find yourself in a casting with someone of a different ethnicity, up for the same role, and feeling like you are simply a 'box tick'."
-It's OK for gatekeepers to be specific about the backgrounds of the people they are looking for. If they're not specific it doesn't sound like they have a vision.

CREATE SPACE FOR A CONNECTION?

-I think the “space” mentioned was not a physical one. It was more the idea that if gatekeepers communicate about their hopes and fears openly, that forms a sort of space.
-I think this is when Phelin drew the image.

DISGRUNTLED AND DEVOTED (and disconnected).

-We liked putting it this way round.

YOU ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE WRONG.

-Directed at gatekeepers.
-Don't let it stop you.
-For goodness sake, don't let it stop you.

-One of the last sentiments expressed was something like “We are tired of talking Alphabets, we just want to make stuff”.

Attendees: Kamaal Hussain, Jacob Harmon, Phelin McDermott, Reena Kalsi, Tobi Kyeremateng, Julia Mucko, Penny Babakhani, Sophie Austin, Andrew Lee, Tanya Agarwal, Hari Ramakrishnan, Tom Wright.