A Listening Session on the Topic of Race at Virginia Rep

 

Purpose

Listening sessions aim to provide a safe, impartial space for artists, patrons, donors, and community stakeholders to candidly express their lived experiences, thoughts, and concerns. The intent of this specific event is to provide a platform to voice concerns and experiences related to the company’s complex history of race relations and harm caused, especially to communities of color.

VA Rep’s senior leadership and members of the board will be present to actively listen and truly learn without offering rebuttal, interruption, or response; instead allowing the experiences of the attendees to take precedence above explanations.

This public session is an extension of work being done internally. VA Rep has participated in two guided preparations for our leadership to make this session productive and will be holding an internal listening session and workshop for our entire full-time staff a few days before this public event. This public event is also not the end of our process but one part of a larger plan of action for Virginia Rep to improve and take accountability.

As part of creating a safe, immediate space for people to share their experiences – VA Rep will not be making a formal recording or transcription of this event. There will be a member of the facilitation team taking notes on the themes of the experiences shared in order to help facilitate a debrief and to inform a plan of action for moving forward. An acknowledgement of the themes shared, as well as a DEI roadmap and accountability statement will be made available to the public later this year.

What Can Attendees Expect

VA Rep’s event will take place at The Workshop by T & D (1400 Mactavish Ave, RVA 23230) on Tuesday, September 16 from 6PM to 8PM.

Members of Rep’s senior leadership will offer a brief welcome – restating the purpose and methodology of the session. Following that, VA Rep will be there to listen, not to talk.

A trained facilitator, Kim Hawkins, will then open the floor for attendees to share — focusing on people who have experiences around the issue of race while working, patronizing, or otherwise interacting with VA Rep — particularly those belonging to communities of color.

VA Rep Commits To

  • Providing a space that is physically and psychologically safe – at a neutral site with a trained facilitator
  • Actively listening to and accepting what is shared without offering rebuttals, explanations, or excuses
  • Centering the experiences of members of communities of color
  • Ensuring that there is no retaliatory behavior during or after the event

Outcomes

The purpose of this session is not to provide explanations but to hear and take accountability for the harm caused in the community and set actionable steps to make improvements moving forward and rebuild trust.

Timeline
  • September 2024 – Staff proposes need to Exec Management, Listening Session proposed
  • February 2025 – Sr. Management team begins working cross departmentally to format session structure
  • March 2025 – Virginia Rep begins the search for a qualified facilitator
  • June 2025 – Virginia Rep engages Kim Hawkins and begins regular meetings
  • August 11, 2025 – Executive/Board Leadership Session
  • August 12, 2025 – Senior Management Session
  • September 15, 2025 – Virginia Rep holds INTERNAL listening session among staff and board
  • September 16, 2025 – Virginia Rep holds EXTERNAL community wide listening session
  • Wednesday, September 17, 2025 – VA Rep’s Executive Team debriefs with facilitator
  • Week of Oct. 6, 2025- Facilitator delivers a DEI roadmap to VA Rep
  • November – December, 2025 – VA Rep will address the public regarding the theatre’s next steps

Please see the additional tabs for information on our facilitator and the venue (including parking information)
Additional questions about the event can be sent to listeningsession@virginiarep.org

 

A Listening Session on the Topic of Race at Virginia Rep

Facilitator Kim Hawkins

Kim has spent nearly a decade designing DEI frameworks and leading listening tours that created space for Black and Brown communities to share their experiences with race relations. She has partnered with leadership teams across industries to build actionable DEI strategies and roadmaps, and she served as a strategic advisor to a church transitioning from an all-white congregation to one with a 60/40 racial makeup while guiding leadership through the historic step of appointing a Black pastor as head.

Her expertise extends beyond DEI into strategy and operations, spanning mission-driven non-profits and fast-growing, venture-backed start-ups. A 4x Chief of Staff and 2x Executive, Kim partners with CEOs to translate vision into strategy and strategy into execution, tracking results at every stage.

A graduate of Berry College with a degree in International Relations, Kim went on to earn both a Juris Doctorate (JD) and an MBA from Samford University, grounding her in law, business, and global affairs. In every role, she has been a trusted advisor to leadership by structuring teams, setting priorities, and ensuring ambitious goals are met with measurable outcomes. Known for thriving at the intersection of strategy and execution, Kim combines analytical rigor with a people-first approach, ensuring that organizational performance and team health advance together.

A Listening Session on the Topic of Race at Virginia Rep

This session will be held at The Workshop by T&D


Address: 1400 Mactavish Ave, RVA 23230
Event Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Time: 6:00 – 8:00pm
Food: Water/Coffee/Tea and light snacks will be available
Parking: Street parking is widely available
Restrooms: The building contains a unisex restroom as well as a set of stalled, traditionally gendered restrooms.

1400 Mactavish Avenue

1400 Mactavish Avenue, Richmond, VA, USA