Policies
The 21 Accents Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Policy and Culture
At the heart of 21 Accents is empathy for all beings as we are, therefore we make a daily and life-long commitment to actively dismantling racism and discrimination in ourselves and our company.
The entire 21 Accents staff are deeply committed to individual and collective training in anti-racism and anti-discrimination, meeting weekly and staying in conversation throughout the week, to hold each other accountable to our impact (regardless of intent) with honesty, openness, and empathy.
If you ever feel discriminated against for any reason, including but not limited to your race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious or spiritual beliefs, physical or mental abilities, or other personal identifying factors, if you feel safe to do so, please be honest with the person or a staff member present, whether in the moment or via email as you feel able, so they can understand their harm, apologize, and change. (See below for how we’re creating a mutually learning culture where honesty is welcome and growth can take place safely.)
If, for any reason, you do not feel safe to address them personally, please contact us at info@21accents.com, so that we can remedy the situation in a way that supports you and allows our staff and/or students to understand their harm, regardless of their intent, and change for the better. Our Administrator is the one who answers these emails, so if for any reason you do not feel safe contacting them, you can email amy@21accents.com and she will follow up with you to ensure you’re taken care of.
We take discrimination very sincerely at 21 Accents. We’re here to learn, as much as to teach with care and compassion, in ways that empower you to fulfill your unique goals, in alignment with your authenticity. Of course, we adhere to the laws governing anti-discrimination, but we go further, to co-create a culture where we can speak openly and honestly, to learn from and support each other, every step of the way.
Please know that we hold your working with us as a sacred trust here at 21 Accents. Voice work, accent work, acting, and everything else we coach here, is deeply personal work. It can bring up feelings from past, current, and even historical discrimination, oppression, abuse, generational trauma, and societal conditioning, regardless of our identity and background. As such, it can also be tremendously healing, freeing, and empowering to sift through all of that and create ways of expressing yourself that feel wholly in alignment with your unique identity. We are committed to holding space with utmost tenderness and care. Not to force you to conform to any “standards” or “ideals”, but to support your own learning and healing journey in ways that best benefit you.
The following are some core group agreements we use for our anti-racism work and our workplace culture, but they also apply in general to how we hold space in sessions, workshops, and meetings, where applicable since issues of discrimination could come up in any environment.
They’re adapted from one by aorta.coop, below. Here’s a link from the ACLU about your legal rights as well.
If you would like to learn more or join in on the conversation we've started, there are two new videos up on our channel. One is Bias In Standard Accents and explains our decision to rename our Course. The other is Amy's own #MyAccent video. :)
We'd love to hear your thoughts and/or experience.
As our Founder, Amy says, “We are all connected”.
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With sincere love and highest regard from the 21 Accents Team~
Our Group Agreements
for Co-Creating an Anti-Racist and Anti-Discrimination Culture
at 21 Accents
Care for your needs. We all have different bodies with different abilities and needs. As you enter this space, take care of your physical and psychological well-being. Trust that it’s okay if your needs change from day to day. So will others’ needs.
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Trust your voice and speak with intention. As best you can, clearly state your experience, needs, or questions. Be as clear with your language as possible, if you’re talking about race say race, if you’re referring to a specific group of people, such as Black people or Indigenous people, simply say so.
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We don’t argue with lived experience. To create a learning community that draws on each person’s lived experience we must create spaces where folks can share freely and safely. If someone says that something happened because they are gay or Black or a woman – we believe that and hold that with great care.
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Create a brave and accountable space. We must be brave to do this work. We’ll work to not replicate systems of harm. We will strive to resist defensiveness and to receive and give feedback. We will practice holding ourselves and each other accountable, with care.
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Step up and step back. If you are someone that speaks a lot—make room for those that don’t take as much airtime. If you are someone who rarely speaks up, challenge yourself to use your voice with connection to your inner strength. And remember, silence doesn’t need to be filled just for the sake of filling it.
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Be aware of power dynamics. Be thoughtful about the ways that you and others wield power in the room –from your role, tenure, outspokenness, dominant identities, etc.
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What is said in this room stays here, what is learned is shared widely. Whatever personal stories and insights are shared we hold in the highest confidence. Outside of this space, we can share any concepts, frameworks, and personal learnings, without naming names or in any way breaking our vow of confidence.
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Consent to learn in public. It can be hard not to understand new or challenging things, but it’s ok to be a beginner, to ask questions even if we feel uncomfortable.
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Shame and blame are barriers to equity. Conversations that build deep community and connection cannot be centered on shame, blame, and guilt. We can lean into being uncomfortable and challenged without relying on shame and blame. White folks especially, we ask that you work to identify and resist defensiveness in yourself and be aware of shaming others.
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There are no easy answers - lean into the journey. This is a place for learning, exploring, and gaining deeper analysis. This is a long-term journey requiring a deep, ongoing commitment.
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Note: Folks will often ask to add “assume best intentions” to group agreements –which isn’t always possible. As the Aorta Collective writes, “The reason we don't use these is because when someone is unable to do this (say they’re feeling untrusting of someone, or unsafe) having a community agreement telling them to do so isn’t going to change anything.”
More resources on group agreements and facilitation to check out:
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• Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Agreements by The Equity Lab
and their blog that discusses how to use them.
• Anti-oppressive meeting facilitation by Aorta
• Racial equity work assumptions by Dismantling Racism
• Facilitating XYZ: check out their downloads, videos, and blogs
21 Accents Video Consent and Release Form
Our goal with this 21 Accents Online Community is to uplift and inspire each other through shared resources and an environment of inclusive, respectful, honest and open learning.
We do that by providing options for solo, one-on-one, and group study. If you do not wish to be recorded, you can work in private, either alone or with a Coach, as well as come early to our workshops, as the Coaches will be there 15 min early to answer any questions you may have, and will only record once the workshop starts.
Once the workshop starts, all participants need to have cameras on and mics muted when they’re not talking, as your Coaches need to be able to see you in order to best guide you. These videos will be recorded and archived for the benefit of your future study, as well as for your fellow 21 Accents Community members to learn from and be inspired by. They will not be posted publicly in full.
We may edit clips to share publicly, to inspire others and let people know what we’re up to here at 21 Accents, but we will always only choose clips that make our students look good! We all know what it’s like to be vulnerable and learn in front of others, and we always want you to feel proud of your work. If there’s a moment you would not like shared, just email us at info@21accents.com with a description of the moment (with time code if possible), and we’ll make sure not to use it. But truly, we will only share things that we would want shared if it were us on camera.
RELEASE AGREEMENT
By participating in recorded Videos, without expectation of compensation or other remuneration, now or in the future, I hereby give my consent to 21 Accents, its affiliates and agents, to use my image and likeness and/or any interview statements from me in its publications, advertising or other media activities (including the Internet). This consent includes, but is not limited to:
(a) Permission to interview, film, photograph, tape, or otherwise make a video reproduction of me and/or record my voice;
(b) Permission to use my name; and
(c) Permission to use quotes from the interview(s) (or excerpts of such quotes), the film, photograph(s), tape(s) or reproduction(s) of me, and/or recording of my voice, in part or in whole, in its publications, in newspapers, magazines and other print media, on television, radio and electronic media (including the Internet), in theatrical media and/or in mailings for educational and awareness.
This consent is given in perpetuity, and does not require prior approval by me. I understand that my participation in any videos recorded by 21 Accents is my consent to this agreement.
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Our Cancellation Policy
If you need to reschedule a session, you may do so up to 48 hours in advance of the scheduled session time. No-shows are billed at the usual rate.
We understand that plans change, and we’re grateful for as much notice as you can give, so we can reschedule.
Buying a Session means you agree to this policy. Bulk sessions are non-refundable. Sessions are to be taken within 8 weeks of the first scheduled session time.
If you can't find the time or date you need then please email us at info@21Accents.com. Your Coach will do their best to work around your schedule.