diversity & inclusion at LOOS
LOOS has a long history of facilitating the visibility of art works and artists related to minorities and equality. This reflects the formation in which LOOS/Studio LOOS and its collaborators grew from, leading to an open attitude to every cultural expression.
As an open podium, artists from every continent, regardless of their ethnicity, special needs, gender identity, love expression and sexuality have presented and shared their thoughts and works with exactly the same access to our facilities and equipment - unlike educational organisations, who charge more for non-European students.
Only one rule applied: we never accepted bigotry and hate.
We gladly welcomed the Cultural Diversity Code, issued by the Dutch Government for the first time in 2010, as a valuable tool to help build an equal and healthy cultural environment in The Netherlands. Proudly, we always had a higher percentage of concerts by those considered “non-western” in the 2010 Code than most podia in The Netherlands, not targeting people as a “product”, but instead creating a space for artists to learn and become part of Dutch society. Our facilities are also easily reachable by people with disabilities, in a central area, with access to public transportation and no obstacles for artists or audience with mobility deficiencies. We consider it important to always question where we are in relation to Diversity and Inclusion: it is a continuous process of self-awareness and improvement. Besides being a breeding place for Art, LOOS is and always will be a stage for voicing the complexities and challenges of such a multi-cultural place as The Hague, integrating different socio-cultural origins and backgrounds into a colourful and more egalitarian society.
In the end of last century, the World seemed to improve its acceptance and inclusiveness, albeit with slower steps. Technology appeared as a tool to join and unite. Unfortunately, the new century saw an uprising of voices whose only arguments are divisive, throwing backwards what once was a real hope for equality. This only strengthens LOOS' spirit of community, a keen sense of working towards allowing people of all identities to have a stage to create beauty and to educate. This is how we can help to bring our belief in a better, more egalitarian world one small but necessary step closer to reality, without tokenising the struggles that endanger such a large part of our society.
(composer, director, representing the LOOS Shared Responsibility Team)