The Chicago Inclusion Project: A Timeline (2015–Present)

2015 — Founding & First Public Action

• TCIP is founded by Emjoy Gavino and collaborators in response to longstanding inequities in Chicago theatre hiring, casting, and access.

• The project launches with a clear mission: expand inclusion in Chicago theatre by removing barriers to entry and broadening who gets seen, hired, and supported.

• Their first major public action is the Chicago Inclusion Auditions, designed to give actors from historically excluded communities direct access to casting directors and theatres.

2016–2017 — Expansion of Auditions & Visibility

• The Inclusion Auditions become an annual or near‑annual anchor event.

• TCIP begins partnering with more theatres, directors, and producers to normalize inclusive casting practices.

• Workshops and conversations around equity, access, and representation start to appear as part of their programming.

2018–2019 — Deepening the Mission

• TCIP shifts from “access to auditions” toward systemic change, emphasizing:

  • equitable hiring practices

  • inclusive rehearsal rooms

  • anti‑bias training

  • community‑centered conversations

• They begin collaborating with institutions seeking to overhaul internal processes, not just casting.

2020 — Pandemic Pivot & Equity Reckoning

• With COVID‑19 shutting down live performance, TCIP pivots to virtual programming, resource‑sharing, and community support.

• During the nationwide racial‑justice uprisings, TCIP becomes a key voice in Chicago’s theatre‑equity conversations, helping institutions confront internal inequities and commit to structural change.

2021–2022 — Infrastructure Building

• TCIP expands its offerings beyond auditions:

  • workshops on inclusion, anti‑racism, and equitable practices

  • consulting for theatres revising hiring, casting, and leadership pipelines

  • community conversations centering marginalized artists

• The organization begins formalizing its internal structure to sustain long‑term work.

2023–2024 — Strategic Reorientation

• TCIP continues to refine its mission toward facilitating inclusive experiences and hiring practices across the entire Chicago theatre ecosystem, not just casting.

• The Inclusion Auditions remain a signature program, but the organization increasingly focuses on education, consulting, and systems‑level change.

2025–Present — New Website, Slow Deliberate Growth

• As of the most recent public update, TCIP is rebuilding its website “slowly, deliberately” to reflect its expanded mission.

• The organization emphasizes:

  • supporting diverse voices

  • equitable hiring

  • creating welcoming, inclusive experiences for artists, audiences, and staff

• Their public messaging suggests a continued commitment to long‑term structural change, not one‑off events.

Overall Arc (2015–2026)

TCIP has evolved from a casting‑access initiative into a systems‑change organization shaping how Chicago theatre hires, trains, supports, and welcomes people. The through‑line is consistent:
equity, access, and inclusion as baseline conditions—not afterthoughts.