S6E2: Using Theater for Social Justice: Inclusive Leadership and Beyond

Naked Conversations: Race, Culture, & Beyond

Welcome to Season 6 Episode 2 of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversation Podcast. On today’s episode, we are joined by Trent Norman of Affinity Arts Consulting as we discuss improving human connection and advancing Social Justice through the art of Theatre.

Trent Norman (he/his/him/they/them/theirs) has a history of Diversity & Inclusion work;

As a student activist, he created the (1) Black Students Organization at Fort Lewis College, (2) UCAP (United Coalition Against Prejudice) – a not-for-profit organization created to address the Ku Klux Klan, and a (3) a performance Theatre group.

Trent received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature and Theatre Performance while participating as a Residence Assistant and a student-athlete; Trent’s Master of Science is in Social Psychology; focusing his energies on group dynamics and facilitation.

Trent continued his love of theatre as the co-founder and director of the University of Colorado’s Interactive Theatre Project and Affinity Arts Consulting (AAC).

Through AAC Trent has created and facilitated performance about social issues for a variety of audiences including restorative justice practitioners, national and international university conferences, first-year student orientations, K-12 teacher educators, sexual assault prosecutor, and support services and environmental justice advocates; using theatre to engage audiences in learning and information sharing.

Additionally, Trent works with the Center for Academic Performance Excellence (CAPE) on the University of Colorado’s Anschutz medical campus helping medical professionals improve their practice, communication skills and patient relationships as an actor and facilitator. He has served as the Assistant Director for Organizational Diversity at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he developed a stand-alone Diversity curriculum implemented by other instructors he trained. Trent created and implemented a diversity plan for the Division of Student Affairs, engaged the Department of Housing and Dining Services in a unit-wide Diversity training and with colleague Rebecca Brown Adelman received the NYU Steinhart excellence award for innovative theatre practices for their work at the University of Colorado and Affinity Arts. Trent has published and leads workshops on facilitation and used that experience to center his diversity & inclusion work. Trent participated in the Social Justice Training Institute (as a participant and intern); has been certified to train in the NCBI (National Coalition Building Institute) model; has a training certificate from NCORE (National Conference On Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education) and completed the Social Justice Education Training Certificate from NCORE. Trent is also a professional photographer, writer, ski instructor, and avid cyclist.

The conversation with Trent is not only thought-provoking but rich with experience, humor, and wisdom. Tune in to hear Trent discuss:

• The connection between JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) and Theatre
• How Theatre can be used as a tool for exploring identity
• How Theatre can amplify and bridge the gap between intention and impact
• Strategies for creating spaces for real and raw conversations to take place

To connect with Trent and his work visit http://affinityartsconsulting.com/

Thank you thank you for listening to the show. It is such an honor to have these conversations with you. They are necessary and needed and we are here to do the work. A special thank you to Trent for his time, his expertise, and his wisdom.

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