Inclusive spaces: How do we go beyond learning opportunities and discussions about inclusivity to create lasting change and continual development?

B+B R+D has commissioned this article as part of our ‘test’ and ‘reflect’ inclusion action research. All of the articles in this series represent the views of the author and not of B+B R+D or our partner organisations.

Some of the articles describe experiences of discrimination that readers may find upsetting.

I recently participated in a Race and EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) training session with an arts institution as one of their freelance artists. With renewed public awareness in conversations about race and Black Lives Matter, I have noticed companies reevaluating inclusion policies and initiating training opportunities similar to the one I attended. I want to reflect on the outcome and longevity of these training sessions in relation to my own recent experience. As this session had a specific focus on race, I will be focusing on inclusion in relation to race rather than other characteristics such as disability, gender, etc.

Race is at the core of inclusive practice and should not be an afterthought, yet some inclusivity roles in the arts don’t integrate race into the work they do. At a minimum, anti-racist training sessions kickstart a valuable and long overdue conversation about race in the UK and in the arts. How do we ensure that we continue to have these discussions long after the session has ended and turn these learning opportunities into solid action?

The training session I was invited to lasted a few hours with around twelve participants. The other members were from different levels of the organisation with responsibilities in areas such as curation, visitor services, recruitment and accessibility. After introducing ourselves, we participated in a series of activities relating to how we approach the topic of race and racism, where our priorities lie in the organisation and what current and future actions we could take to improve EDI.

I approached this training session with the intention of learning more about inclusivity practices specifically in the arts. Whilst I had some knowledge on topics about race, I wanted to see first hand how informed the organisation was when it came to race and inclusion. As a ‘BAME’ person, it was important to me that the people I’m working with understand and empathise with the struggles and lived experiences of ‘ethnic minorities’, and for me to feel protected if I faced any discrimination while working. This was also an opportunity to voice my opinion as a freelancer who did not work with the organisation on a full time basis and to have it heard in an environment free from workplace hierarchies. It is notable that I was one of the two non-white people in the group and the partcipants were mostly white women - which, from experience, is reflective of most art institutions I have worked with.

It became quickly apparent that some members were unfamiliar or uncomfortable in talking about race. I had anticipated this, so I appreciated the instigation of this training session as it seemed to be a valuable experience for those who have never spoken about race aloud to have a safe space to do so. I was particularly thankful for our trainer that day, who navigated everyone’s different stages of anti-racist learning with patience and knowledge.

Out of the activities we participated in, there were particular moments that made an impression on me that day:

• When talking about race, one of the members responded by talking exclusively about inclusion in relation to SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability). The tone of this felt as if it was a deflection on our discussions about racism. This was picked up by the trainer who said that while it was important to discuss disabilities, it was unrelated to our current discussion and our dedicated space in talking about racism.
• When we split up into groups, I felt as though I was more vocal about improvements and suggestions for moving forward, whereas more established staff members would rebut with the positive steps they were already taking on inclusive practice. This wasn’t wholly negative as I appreciated being heard and considered, but it felt reductive to the aims of the activity, which was to work as a group to make progressive steps. Despite being a shared discussion, I felt the weight of an expectation to bring specific knowledge and expertise in an area where I could only speak from personal experience.
• A suggestion that I made during our group discussion was that there needed to be more “BAME” people in roles higher up in the organisation. I was met with an insistence that there was one non-white young man in one of their senior positions. Talking about it in this way felt tokenistic and, if anything, highlighted how underrepresented “BAME” people are in their organisation. This, amongst other responses to suggestions I made, implied that they had solved this problem now and didn't think it necessary to discuss it any further.
• One of the ways to improve inclusivity is through an organisation’s hiring practices. During our smaller group discussions, I expressed the difficulties of job hunting in the current climate. On top of dealing with the pandemic and underfunding in the arts, as a “BAME” job seeker, I also worried about facing positive discrimination, whether I am just ‘ticking a box’, and how that contributes to my own feelings of self worth. It was also discussed in the group how particularly difficult it is for refugees and people who migrate to the UK to find a job in the same industry as in their previous place of residence, or to continue in their established career. One member of the group, who was in a senior position in the company, was surprised at these stories as they have faced little to no job insecurity since they started their career in the arts. Despite initial naivety about the lived experiences of marginalised groups, this conversation fostered intergenerational discussions as well as introducing senior employers to the difficulties young non-white job seekers can face. It felt crucial to me that people in a position to employ should have a certain level of understanding of the lived experiences of the people they are hiring.

After observing pushback and reluctance on improving race inclusion during the session, I expressed my feelings of uncertainty to the trainer. The session itself was generally well received and approached with open mindedness, but when it came to discussing actions, the reception was weaker. We observed that while the general consensus was that there was work to be done, it was considered a low priority amongst other problems that the institution was facing. This reluctance for change came especially from those who have been in the company the longest. The trainer also noted that any institutional change would start with freelancers, artists and practitioners such as myself. Though I agreed with her sentiment, I feel that it is usually the case that artists prioritise and highlight issues in inclusivity practice more so than their employers. This unfairly places the majority of the burden on the lowest paid groups and those who are not policy makers.

I came away feeling positive from the conversations and new connections, but perhaps not feeling very hopeful that there will be any significant outcomes from just this one afternoon. The trainer facilitated well and encouraged an open, non-judgemental space. Conversations felt more enriching and informative when we split into smaller groups, giving everyone an opportunity to interact closely with people of different experiences within the organisation. The reluctance to action was attributed to the perceived lack of time and resources, alongside heavy workloads and a hesitance in talking about race. To encourage the continuity of our learning and to reflect on our own responsibility to race inclusion, our last activity required us to make a commitment for change within our capacity and role - though without a plan to follow up this commitment, the promises felt directionless. There was no existing plan in place and I observed an avoidance of responsibility on the basis of their job role. It has been a few months since this experience and I haven’t observed any noticeable changes, with the potential changes we had discussed seemingly forgotten. I can tell that there is a considered effort in involving non-white artists in exhibitions and workshops, though often times I feel as if I’m the only ‘BAME’ staff present.

As well as reflecting on this experience as a whole, the contents of our discussions that day were also insightful in thinking about the ways we could improve inclusion in the arts. Using this training session as a reference point, I have some recommendations on how we can make the most out of these sessions as ultimately I believe they can be impactful when facilitated well and continuously:

• Continue to run training sessions and run them regularly. Some members expressed concerns about saying the wrong thing due to a lack of experience in discussing race and racism. It’s important that we create inclusive spaces by understanding that it is worthy, important and not taboo. The more opportunities to develop a language and comfort in talking about race, the more likely we are to take steps to improve it.
• Develop a deeper understanding of the moral importance of race and acknowledge the part intersectionality plays within inclusion. The deflections to other, albeit important, characteristics such as gender and disabilities show a lack of understanding of how these discriminations are often interconnected. Everyone has a responsibility and inclusive practice comes under a variety of roles in the arts, such as the choice of exhibited artists, visitors, recruitment processes and accessibility to workshops.
• Create opportunities for staff of different responsibilities to interact. Myself and other freelancers felt our voices were small in comparison to the wider organisation. Including artists in major conversations is beneficial to creating unity and understanding between different struggles.
• In organisations where there is a more diverse pool of employees, make sure discussion groups in training are mixed. I felt a responsibility to manage feelings of defensiveness and white fragility. By evening out the power dynamics, we can encourage richer conversations through diversifying groups and staff levels in the conversation. Even if a workplace is diverse, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is inclusive and these conversations are still needed.
• Be transparent. By openly criticising and discussing existing inclusion policies, we are able to create improvements for them. Have regular internal reviews of progress and appoint someone to take notes in these training sessions for evaluation. Another option is to use external companies to measure progress in a non-biased way.

Discussions about inclusivity are not a one-time deal. The conversation is always changing and race is interwoven into each area of inclusion and each part of an organisation. As freelancers, we often feel separate from the conversation by not being present in the same capacity as other members of an organisation, but freelancers are still a hugely integral part of the running of art spaces. We need to listen to the voices of people from every level and create rich and meaningful connections from facilitating discussions to diversifying hiring practices. We need to create commitments and come back to it again and again. The barriers of guilt, opportunity and disconnection prevent progress, despite the good intentions of the individual to improve. As a “BAME” freelancer, I want to extend my help now but I want to feel that this voice is appreciated and needed.