OUR CALL TO ARMS & DEI STATEMENT
We are driven to harness unique storytelling to change lives. To help everyone meaningfully connect their story with people they can help.
Our work is only as good as the benefit it provides to communities. To achieve our purpose, we must apply this lens to the way we work, applying a lens of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to everything we do.
DEI is critical to our success because it is diversity that makes stories unique, and it is equity and inclusion that have the power to truly change lives. By following these DEI Values we hope to better our work, our employee experience, and our community impact.
Our DEI Values
We acknowledge that we exist in a place of privilege, and that we will never fully understand someone else’s lived experience. We have blindspots and therefore may make mistakes. Rather than reacting with defence and centring ourselves, we are committed to listening, learning, and adapting our behaviour.
01
We stand with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
We respect and uphold Aboriginal self-determination. We acknowledge that we benefit from living and working on stolen land everyday. We seek to decolonise our thinking and collaborate with First Nations peoples in an equitable way.
02
We celebrate and support difference
We believe that brilliant creative work is entirely dependent on difference; difference of background, difference of perspective, and difference of opinion. Regardless of seniority, we want people to feel supported to express themselves fully and expressing their difference.
03
We are people-centred
We understand that everybody learns and works differently. We strive to centre the individual needs of all people who work with us. We are committed to being flexible and meeting people where they are with openness, curiosity, and support.
04
We apply an intersectional lens to everything we do
We understand the cumulative way that discrimination can combine, overlap, or intersect for individuals. There is no homogenous experience for any group of people. At The Open Arms we strive to challenge our unconscious biases and always consider who isn’t being represented in the discussion.
05
We use our privilege to better the creative industry and society at large
We strive to walk with, advocate, and centre the voices of people who experience systemic discrimination and oppression. We recognise our privilege as leaders in our industry and we are committed to using it to elevate others. When opportunities arise for us, we will ask ourselves if the opportunity would be better served by someone from another community.
