ABOUT DAVIS SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

“We should take a moment to acknowledge the land on which we are gathered. For thousands of years, this land has been the home of Patwin people. Today, there are three federally recognized Patwin tribes: Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.

The Patwin people have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries. It has been cherished and protected, as elders have instructed the young through generations. We are honored and grateful to be here today on their traditional lands.”

Pronunciations: 

Patwin [PUTT-win], Cachil Dehe [CATCH-ill DEE-HEE], Kletsel Dehe [KLET-SELL DEE-HEE], Yocha Dehe [YO-chuh DEE-HEE], Wintun [WIN- tune]

This land acknowledgement was provided by the UC Davis Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion following consultation with members of the Patwin native community.

We acknowledge that DSF was formed and performs on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Patwin native community. We choose to acknowledge the Patwin people and their land as a means to open one of the larger questions: what actions can we take to support Indigenous communities? We encourage everyone to learn more about the Indigenous communities in their immediate area at native-land.ca as well as the history and violence that occurred when territory was forcibly seized from Native people in our country.

DSF recognizes that millions of Africans were enslaved and dehumanized while laboring to create the infrastructure and economic foundation of this occupied land. Enslaved peoples’ value was based on their potential to maximize labor output, and this relationship between Black social status and Black labor contributes to the systemic racism many experience today. For more information, we encourage all to engage with the 1619 Project.

In California, where DSF is based, we acknowledge that Spanish and other European people enslaved countless populations of Indigenous people for labor as they colonized the land.

We acknowledge this in order to promote decolonial mindsets in our work as a company and as a community. We encourage all to pursue decolonized practices to further the advancement of cultural equity.

DSF strives for cultural equity through storytelling and education that promotes cultural joy by maintaining spaces that are reflexive, inclusive, and accessible to limitless communities.

DSF believes Black Lives Matter. We passionately support this movement and believe that every organization throughout the world, in all fields, MUST look inward to combat white supremacy. We acknowledge that we have fallen short in doing this work in our past. We acknowledge the battle against racism and oppression must be embraced as a daily fight. 

Davis Shakespeare Festival grew from its belief in the timeless and impactful storytelling of William Shakespeare. DSF strives to take Shakespeare down from his pedestal and make his work more accessible to people of all backgrounds, cultures, and interests. While Shakespeare has offered and continues to offer so much to the world, we feel the responsibility to decentralize Western ideals and systems put in place that do not allow certain people and ideas a seat at the table, or in our case, the rehearsal room. Compassion and collaboration are values that we have always held dear but now it is imperative that we hold ourselves and those we work with accountable should those values become undermined. Whether we are producing a Shakespearean comedy or a new devised work, we vow to center the community.

Our passion for equity through education is the driving force behind everything we do. Our current educational undertaking, the Digital Internship Program (DIP), provides an educational and experiential learning platform for university students and early-career professionals seeking to broaden their horizons as future arts leaders.

We acknowledge that we are living in the unprecedented time of COVID-19 and our hearts go out to those who have lost or have suffered in any way because of this. We acknowledge that this virus has disproportionately affected BIPOC and elderly communities in our countries.

Davis Shakespeare Festival, in its physical and virtual spaces, is anti-homophobic, anti-transphobic, anti-ableist, anti-sexist, and anti-racist.