Ombuds
Renegade Theatre Company brings together passionate, creative people from across Atlanta because that leads to great theatre. Sometimes, it also leads to challenges and conflict. The Ombuds offers a safe space where Renegades can discuss issues in a confidential and neutral environment.
“Ombudsman” (om-budz-man) is a historical term for an independent representative of the people. In keeping with Renegade’s commitment to address biases that occur when gendered terms are presented as the norm, we use the common short form “Ombuds.”
Meet the Ombuds: Kira Walsh
I'm thrilled to be the first Ombuds for Renegade Theatre Company! In this role, I'm here to help solve problems and manage conflicts within the RTC community. While I may not have all the answers, I'm dedicated to listening and helping find community-driven solutions to any concerns.
I truly believe in the power of community theatre. It's an essential resource for creating more creative, equitable, and beautiful communities. I'm committed to working with everyone to ensure this important space is safe and accessible for all.
-
You are welcome to bring any RTC-related question, problem, or idea to the Ombuds. The Ombuds is particularly well-suited to making space for the kinds of concerns that may be difficult to address in the more time-limited space of auditions, rehearsals, and performance.
-
Discussions with the Ombuds are private. Generally, this means you will be invited to talk off-site, such as via Zoom. The Ombuds will not even acknowledge that you have met. Because email should never be considered confidential, please only include your contact information and availability to meet when reaching out to the Ombuds; do not include sensitive or confidential information.
There are extremely limited cases where confidentiality cannot be promised—if there is an imminent risk of harm or a risk to public safety. With the exception of these limited circumstances, the Ombuds will never do anything without your permission or share information you provide beyond the protected space of the consultation. You decide how to address your concerns and issues with the support of the Ombuds.
-
In order to maintain neutrality and prioritize community-led solutions, the Ombuds will seek to help in ways that empower the conversant to choose their own path forward. The Ombuds may present concerns to theatre leadership in the form of general themes and trends and/or make suggestions for how to modify theatre policies and procedures to account for concerns in future productions.
-
You can email our current Ombuds, Kira Walsh, at kirawalsh@gmail.com. If you are a member of a specific RTC production, your stage manager or director can also provide you with a phone number for Kira if you prefer to call, text, or use Telegram.