Pleasure Dome stopped screening at Cinecycle following Taja Nicholle’s account because we oppose racism without conditions. Pleasure Dome recognizes that an act of racism occurred and we were publicly silent. We were dismayed, powerless, and perplexed at how to intervene, and this limited our ability to act in solidarity. Here and now, we apologize for all harm this silence perpetuated – we are sorry.
Pleasure Dome stopped screening at Cinecycle following Taja Nicholle’s account because we oppose racism without conditions. Pleasure Dome recognizes that an act of racism occurred and we were publicly silent. We were dismayed, powerless, and perplexed at how to intervene, and this limited our ability to act in solidarity. Here and now, we apologize for all harm this silence perpetuated – we are sorry.
Pleasure Dome wants to be accountable, and we are using this “call in” opportunity to minimize the impact of our silence by investing in reconciliation and encouraging others to do the same. To hold account, through numerous private interventions and conflicts, we would like to suggest a solution which centers being good to one another. As a white woman charged with penning this statement, I acknowledge the labour required to cultivate safe spaces free of racism rests on my shoulders. Pleasure Dome intends to interrupt the white privilege operating in this scenario by committing resources that will foster anti-oppressive values at Cinecycle and beyond.
Pleasure Dome would like to contribute our labour, resources, and ingenuity to help Martin cultivate an anti-oppressive framework, be it via training or policy development, through which to make amends for harm done. This framework ought to prioritize our collective commitment and responsibility for making racialized folks safe at our events. This framework can be adapted to be a safer spaces policy that guides our organizations. Through this support, we hope to demonstrate our compassion and acknowledgment of the contributions spanning years of familial partnership with Martin at Cinecycle.
We are open to participating in a group discussion and are thrilled to learn York U Cinema Arts is planning to host a long table in August. We will share the details of this event as they unfold. – Theresa Slater, on behalf of the Board of Directors.
