Barebones exists to present the Halloween Extravaganza. It is a vehicle for naming, mourning and honoring the dead, both the known and unknown, including the victims of neglect, police brutality and genocide. It is an event for collective grieving through community art as we enter the cold and dark time of the year. These things are desperately needed in Minneapolis in 2020. As artists our tools are vision, manifestation, transformation.

Members of Barebones community have been in the streets, at the meetings, on their phones and computers, mourning the violent murder of George Floyd, working to transform the situation into lasting social and structural change.

We see this murder and its aftermath within the context of systems which intentionally build inequity and division, and a context of massive brutality by those in power at every level which rips from us our humanity and our connection to our bodies and the earth. Barebones also exists within this context. In recent years we have taken steps towards undoing any white-body supremacy within Barebones, with an eye on Minneapolis and the larger culture. But we have not gone far enough. We promise to do more. Here, we make the following action promises to be accountable to.

Removing barriers to participation: we will consider this as we make every decision about hiring, location, cost, content and messaging.

More about hiring: This year, as in other recent years, we commit to hiring — especially to leadership positions — at least 50% people who are black, indigenous, people of color, trans, queer, people with disabilities and women.

Learning/unlearning: This year we will again offer: 1) for black and brown bodies: BIPOC only special event during the making of the show for social and artistic support 2) for white bodies: “embodied white allies workshop” and 3) for all bodies: community conversations around cultural appropriation and creating a culture of consent.

Safety: We will continue to advocate so that the city will allow us to find a police-free alternative to keeping Barebones events safe. We have a “safer spaces” committee devoted to helping the Barebones community be welcoming to all who feel called to join and to helping with conflicts as they arise.

We hope you will join us to make Barebones 2020 what this community needs it to be.