Liverpool’s arts and culture organisations, large and small, have been working collectively to provide a set of principles and a plan for actively promoting greater race equality across Liverpool's arts and culture sector. Galvanized by the Black Lives Matter movement and catalysed by the murder of George Floyd, the two consortia of Creative Organisations of Liverpool (COoL) and Liverpool Arts Regeneration Consortium (LARC) have developed a Race Equality Manifesto that will anchor a campaign for change in their organisations' workforces and governance, the work they do with artists, and the audiences they engage with.|
The Manifesto statement and its accompanying set of pledges can be viewed in this PDF.
The Bluecoat is proud to be a signatory of the manifesto. We believe that as a prominent, public-facing cultural organisation, we have a civic responsibility to work to make society more inclusive and equal. Therefore, Bluecoat is committed to taking decisive action towards creating a more equal organisation and to diversifying the sector we work in. We are pleased to be working with other Liverpool cultural organisations towards these aims, as it is only together that we will truly be able to make a lasting impact.
You can read more about our commitment to Race Equality here: https://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/our-commitment-to-race-equality
Signatories of the manifesto (to date) include:
· BrazUKa International (Katumba Drumming and Movement)
· BlackFest
· Bluecoat Display Centre
· Collective Encounters
· DaDaFest
· FACT Liverpool
· First Take Video Limited
· Liverpool Arab Arts Festival
· Liverpool Biennial
· Liverpool Everyman Playhouse
· Liverpool Irish Festival
· Liverpool's Royal Court
· Movema
· National Museums Liverpool
· Open Culture
· Open Eye Gallery
· Pagoda Arts
· Squash Liverpool
· Tate Liverpool
· The Bluecoat
· The Windows Project
· Tmesis Theatre
· Unity Theatre
· Writing on the Wall.
The Manifesto will be launched on Thursday 25 May, 6.00-7.45pm at Pagoda Chinese Community Arts Centre. It will be an opportunity to hear from some of those directly involved in spearheading this manifesto, to find out about the process, why this work is necessary and how its pledges will be put into practice.
The evening will be a celebration of local creativity, featuring two of the city’s most celebrated poets, Levi Tafari and Amina Atiq, as well as a short film and food. Speakers will include Lorna Rogers from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Race Equality Hub. Places for the launch are still available here:
It is being supported by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's Race Equality Hub. The Hub was launched by Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, and is the city region’s largest-ever investment in tackling racial inequalities among its work force. As well as providing training and employment support to local people, the Combined Authority has provided financial support towards the Race Equality Manifesto launch and has committed to engage with the ongoing work of the group.
Lorna Rogers, the Assistant Director for Mayoral Programme Delivery at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said:
“We are committed to support the Race Equality Manifesto working with the cultural sector to ensure underrepresented groups across our diverse communities have access to opportunities, training and support to fulfil their potential.
"In creating the Race Equality Hub, the Combined Authority made the biggest investment to tackle racial inequality in our area’s history. Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths, particularly in the city region’s historically strong arts and culture sector, and we need practical, proactive and positive action to make sure everyone has an equal chance to succeed.”
More information on the manifesto can be viewed on the CooL website here:
https://cool-collective.co.uk/race-equality/
Header image: I Am Not Okay (c) Tmesis Theatre and First Take ft. Kolade T Lapido & Ithalia Forel