20 years after it first emerged as an agenda, diversity has become depoliticised and defanged. The cultural sector needs to remember that fair representation is not a marketing strategy – it’s about social justice, says Clive Nwonka.
In February 1999, the Macpherson report into the death of Stephen Lawrence made 70 recommendations for eradicating institutional racism within the police. Although the arts, culture and media sectors were not a target of the report, we can similarly trace the uptake of what would later become known as cultural diversity within these institutions – particularly at a time when the political context was invested, at least rhetorically, in eradicating racial prejudice.
This week, 20 years on from the report, Arts Council England published its annual report on diversity within the arts sector, showing that in some areas arts organisations are “treading water”...Keep reading on The Guardian
In February 1999, the Macpherson report into the death of Stephen Lawrence made 70 recommendations for eradicating institutional racism within the police. Although the arts, culture and media sectors were not a target of the report, we can similarly trace the uptake of what would later become known as cultural diversity within these institutions – particularly at a time when the political context was invested, at least rhetorically, in eradicating racial prejudice.
This week, 20 years on from the report, Arts Council England published its annual report on diversity within the arts sector, showing that in some areas arts organisations are “treading water”...Keep reading on The Guardian