Share on your platforms
Pick the one that feels like you. Edit it, make it yours, or post it word for word.
Email a theater leader, director, or producer
These are written to be direct without being confrontational. You're sharing a resource, not filing a complaint.
Subject: A resource I want to share with you
Hi [Name],
I hope this finds you well. I wanted to share something that I think is genuinely important for [theater name / your next production / our industry].
There's a framework called Texture Ready — built by Art & Soul Consulting — that establishes a minimum standard of care for textured and Black hair in professional production. It covers things most of us have just been improvising around: performer intake and consent, qualified staffing, stop-work protocols, and how to actually budget for this.
It's not a training or a workshop — it's operational infrastructure. The toolkit is already listed on the Actors' Equity Association employer resources page, and both AEA and SAG-AFTRA have introduced contract provisions that make this kind of standard increasingly expected.
I'm sharing this because I care about the work we do together and I want the artists in your rooms to be protected. Art & Soul offers a diagnostic that assesses where an organization stands and delivers a 30-day action plan. I think it's worth a look.
Here's their site: www.artandsoulconsulting.com/texture-ready
Happy to talk more about this if you'd like.
[Your name]
Subject: Something I think matters for your productions
Hi [Name],
I'm a performer, and I wanted to share a resource that I believe would make a real difference for artists in your productions.
Texture Ready is a working standard for textured and Black hair care in professional production — covering intake, staffing, budgeting, and escalation protocols. It's built by Art & Soul Consulting and listed on the AEA employer resources page.
Most production environments don't have any of this formalized. That's not an accusation — it's just reality. And it's something that can be changed with the right framework.
Their site: www.artandsoulconsulting.com/texture-ready
Thank you for what you do.
[Your name]
What to say when it comes up
For panels, green rooms, production meetings, or casual conversations when someone mentions the gap.
When someone says "we need to do better with Black hair"
"Totally agree — and there's actually a framework for it now. It's called Texture Ready, built by Art & Soul Consulting. It covers intake, staffing, budgeting, stop-work protocols — the actual operational stuff. It's on the AEA employer resources page. Worth looking at."
When you're in a production meeting and no one's raised it
"Quick question — do we have a protocol for textured hair care for this production? Intake, consent, qualified staffing? There's a standard now called Texture Ready that a lot of organizations are looking at. Might be worth having on our radar before we get into tech."
When you're on a panel or in an interview
"One of the things that's changed recently is that there's now an actual standard of care for textured hair in production — not just a conversation, but a framework with intake forms, staffing requirements, budgeting, the whole thing. It's called Texture Ready. I think anyone running a production should know about it."
When a fellow performer shares a bad experience
"I'm sorry that happened. I want you to know there's now a standard that exists specifically to prevent that — it's called Texture Ready. If you're comfortable, you could share it with the leadership at that theater. Or I can. Either way, the solution exists now."
A one-pager you can hand to any AD, producer, or department head
Print this, email it as a PDF, or just copy and paste the text into a message. It explains what Texture Ready is without requiring you to be the expert on it.
Texture Ready: What Production Leaders Need to Know
The problem: There is no industry-wide standard of care for textured and Black hair in professional production. Most productions lack intake protocols, qualified staffing requirements, consent frameworks, stop-work procedures, and dedicated budgets for textured hair care. When harm occurs, there is no documented standard to point to.
What's changed: Both Actors' Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA have introduced contract provisions requiring qualified professionals for textured hair care and actor-included decision making. The expectation is now formalized. The operational infrastructure to meet it is what most organizations still lack.
What Texture Ready is: A working field standard built by Art & Soul Consulting that provides the infrastructure productions need — performer intake and consent processes, qualified staffing frameworks, stop-work and escalation protocols, and budget guidance. It is listed on the AEA employer resources page and currently being implemented in a live production case study.
What you can do: Art & Soul's Texture Ready team offers a diagnostic that assesses your current protocols and delivers a 30-day action plan. Implementation coaching is available for organizations that want guided support through the plan. Start at www.artandsoulconsulting.com or contact hello@artandsoulconsulting.com.
From AEA's Diversity & Inclusion Department:
"You are encouraged to both reach out directly to the union through your business rep and review your contract to see what protections are already in place. For example, there have been recent provisions in negotiations that have been achieved: ensuring that a qualified and/or licensed professional is consulted, potential action for hair restoration, and actor-included decision making."
Contact AEA Diversity & Inclusion: [email protected]
Find your business rep: actorsequity.org → Find Your Rep