Coronavirus: Theatre leaders urge government to protect diversity progress
More than 60 black, Asian and ethnically diverse arts leaders, including Roy Alexander Weise, Nadia Fall and Lynette Linton, have written an open letter to the government, urging it to ensure diversity progress in the sector does not "fall by the wayside" due to Covid-19.
Addressed to the Secretary of State for for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden, the letter’s signatories also include the Young Vic’s artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah, artistic director of Actors Touring Company Matthew Xia, artistic director at Yellow Earth Theatre Kumiko Mendl, Battersea Arts Centre artistic director Tarek Iskander and artistic director at London’s Kiln Theatre Indhu Rubasingham.
Others include Kully Thiarai, Suba Das, Daniel York Loh, Jennifer Lim, Mehmet Ergen, Lucy Sheen, Abdul Shayek and Stella Kanu.
The letter, published on the Young Vic Theatre’s website, states: "Throughout the last decade, British theatre has led the world with regard to the Black, Asian and ethnic diversity on our stages.
"[...] Equally as exciting, the last few years have seen an explosion of world-leading black, Asian and ethnically diverse artists transforming major UK theatrical organisations, from touring, to off-West End, to pioneering regional theatres and cultural institutions. Our programming choices have demonstrated that inclusivity is a major contributor to our success.
"The Covid-19 crisis threatens all aspects of the theatrical ecology, but catalysed by the revelations of the racial disparity in the health crisis, this group of black, Asian and ethnically diverse artistic leaders call on the government and the sector to ensure the progress we have collectively made does not fall by the way-side."
The letter adds: "We insist that ethnic diversity is protected and celebrated in policy going forwards and propose that any task force or group gathering to speak about the future of our industry seeks consultation from black, Asian and ethnically diverse leaders to ensure this commitment.
"We are a great British success story, and will be essential to the arts returning at full strength and playing its part in our nation’s recovery."
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Read the letter in full below:
Dear Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport,
Throughout the last decade, British theatre has led the world with regards to the black, Asian and ethnic diversity on our stages. Many of those actors are now international names: John Boyega, Idris Elba, Gemma Chan, Dev Patel, Cynthia Erivo, Daniel Kaluuya, Benedict Wong, Cush Jumbo, Letitia Wright, the list goes on.
Equally as exciting, the last few years have seen an explosion of world-leading black, Asian and ethnically diverse artists transforming major UK theatrical organisations, from touring, to off-West End, to pioneering regional theatres and cultural institutions. Our programming choices have demonstrated that inclusivity is a major contributor to our success.
The Covid-19 crisis threatens all aspects of the theatrical ecology, but catalysed by the revelations of the racial disparity in the health crisis, this group of black, Asian and ethnically diverse artistic leaders call on the government and the sector to ensure the progress we have collectively made does not fall by the wayside.
We insist that ethnic diversity is protected and celebrated in policy going forwards and propose that any task force or group gathering to speak about the future of our industry seeks out consultation from black, Asian and ethnically diverse leaders to ensure this commitment.
We are a great British success story, and will be essential to the arts returning at full strength and playing its part in our nation’s recovery.
Signed,
Keith Saha - co-artistic director, 20 Stories High
Matthew Xia – artistic director and joint CEO, Actors Touring Company
Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE - director, The Africa Centre
Farooq Chaudhry OBE - co-founder and executive producer, Akram Khan Company
Mehmet Ergen - artistic director, Arcola Theatre
Cassa Pancho MBE - founder, artistic director and CEO, Ballet Black
Tarek Iskander - artistic director and CEO, Battersea Arts Centre
Anisa Morridadi - founder and CEO, Beatfreeks
Corey Campbell and Justine Themen - co-artistic directors, Belgrade Theatre
Hannah Azieb Pool - artistic director and CEO, Bernie Grant Arts Centre
Alix Harris - artistic director, Beyond Face
Amit Sharma - deputy artistic director, Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Arike Oke - managing director, Black Cultural Archives
Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy & Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante – co-artistic directors, Boy Blue
Gbolahan Obisesan - artistic director, Brixton House
Naomi Sumner Chan- artistic director, Brush Stroke Order
Lynette Linton - artistic director, Bush Theatre
An-Ting Chang - artistic director and CEO, Chinese Arts Now
Vinna Law - artistic director, Cognatus Theatre
Chenine Bhathena - creative director, Coventry UK City of Culture Trust
David Tse – artistic director, East Zest Productions
Amanda Huxtable and Shawab Iqbal - artistic director, CEO and executive producer, Eclipse Theatre
Iskandar Sharazuddin - co-founder, Ellandar Productions
Adrian Tang - artistic director, Exit Pursued By Panda
Maria Oshodi - artistic director and CEO, Extant
Abdul Shayek – artistic director and CEO, Fio Cardiff
Lucy Sheen - founder and artistic director, Foundling Productions
Aisha Khan - co-artistic director, Freedom Studios
Yamin Choudury - artistic director, Hackney Empire
Dominic Garfield and Joseph Barnes-Phillips - co-artistic directors, HighRise Theatre
Suba Das - artistic director and CEO, HighTide
Karena Johnson – artistic director and CEO, Hoxton Hall
Ben Qasim Monks - executive director, Improbable
Anj Handa - chair of Freedom Studios and founder of Inspiring Women Changemakers
Sepake Angiama - artistic director, Institute of International Visual Arts
Indhu Rubasingham - artistic director, Kiln Theatre
Zhui Ning Chang - co-founder, Lazy Native
Kully Thiarai - creative director, Leeds 2023
Stella Kanu - chair of Eclipse Theatre and executive director, LIFT Festival
Deborah Sawyerr - deputy executive director, Mercury Theatre, Colchester
Daniel York Loh and Jennifer Lim – founders and co-artistic directors, Moongate Productions
Ria Parry - co-director, The North Wall
Sharon Watson - principal and CEO, Northern School of Contemporary Dance
Clarissa Widya – artistic director, Papergang Theatre
Alex Chang - co-founder, Paradox House
Michelle Yim – artistic director and producer, Red Dragonfly Theatre Productions
Pravesh Kumar - artistic director and chief executive, Rifco Theatre Company
Kathy Williams - director, RJC Dance
Roy Alexander Weise - co-artistic director, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
Pawlet Brookes - founder, artistic director and CEO, Serendipity
Kevin Shen - co-artistic director, Special Relationship Productions
Prema Mehta - lighting designer and founder, Stage Sight
Michael Buffong - artistic director, Talawa Theatre Company
Suzann McLean - artistic director and CEO, Theatre Peckham
Nadia Fall - artistic director, Theatre Royal Stratford East
Ailin Conant - artistic director, Theatre Temoin
Natalie Ibu - artistic director and CEO, Tiata Fahodzi
Anna Nguyen and Mingyu Lin - co-founders, Trikhon Theatre
Justin Audibert - artistic director, Unicorn Theatre
Vicki Amedume - artistic director, Upswing
Tuyet Van Huynh - co-founder, VanThanh Productions
Doreen Foster - director, Warwick Arts Centre
Melanie Keen - director, Wellcome Collection
Kumiko Mendl - artistic director, Yellow Earth Theatre
Kwame Kwei-Armah - artistic director, Young Vic
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