The Arts Council: helping diversity or causing division?
1st December, 2007
Special feature by Meera Dattani
Its attempts to promote cultural diversity have invited criticism including claims of 'inverted racism'.
And yet, research shows the Arts Council's diversity initiatives are not only necessary to adjust the imbalance on the British arts scene, but also profoundly affect multi-cultural Britain.
Decibel was launched by the Arts Council in 2003 to raise the profile of under-represented BME (black and minority ethnic) artists. It has staged two Performing Arts Showcases, in 2003 and 2005, the first attracting over 300 international delegates and generating £260,000 in bookings for 40 artists. In 2004, decibel launched curatorial traineeships and in 2005, it partnered with the British Book Awards, the 'Nibbies', and presented the first decibel Writer of the Year Award to Hari Kunzru.
So far so good. But it was another project with publisher Penguin, to find emerging writing talent, when diversity hit the fan. The project was criticised by the BNP, who claim the award is anti-white, urging its members 'to boycott Penguin books'. In January 2007, the award was investigated by the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), following a "string of complaints".
They concluded that banning white authors from competing was "unlawful" because it breached the Race Relations Act 1976.
That the CRE could uphold a BNP complaint is somewhat unsettling but as Samenua Sesher, director of decibel, explains, it wasn't really about that. "The broader issue is, how useful is the law is in supporting [racial] equality? Disability support has been robust, but there's more room for ambiguity with race equality, partly because it's untested."
Plus, decibel is used to criticism - since launch, it's attracted a constant torrent of it. What's surprising is the source. "The BNP aside, the Daily Mail also ran a negative piece about our visual arts curating schemes. But the hardest to swallow is from members of the diverse arts community itself - Asian, African and Caribbean practitioners who say projects like decibel are divisive. They call it inverted racism as they support one group and exclude others, adding separation to society."
A pamphlet published by think-tank Policy Exchange, Culture Vultures: Is UK arts policy is damaging the arts?, edited by Munira Mirza, also criticises decibel, saying, "These decisions create a distinct institutional stratum, BME culture."
It seems strange to decibel's director. "These views take the position that we have an equal society. And we don't," says Samenua. "I'm dismayed that's not contested enough. When exclusion happens as a by-product of a mindset, deliberate or not, it's increasingly uncontested - yet a magnifying glass is applied to projects which attempt to help. I'd be delighted if these projects weren't necessary, if it was a level playing field, but it's not."
As Diana Evans, 2006 decibel Penguin Book prize winner, said, "It helps get ethnic minority writers in the limelight. Eventually in an ideal world you won't have a need."
That the Arts Council is adding to the problem is a polarising argument, according to Hassan Mahamdallie, Senior Strategy Officer at the Arts Council. "None of us can say we've done everything right. But ever since Naseem Khan's 1976 'The Art Britain Ignores', we've been trying to equalise access to the arts. At times, it's fruitless, other times, it's done well."
"If criticism is due, it's that we've not looked at diversity in terms of socio-economics," he continues. "Take South Asians. Funding goes to articulate, urbane, middle-class applicants but what about Pakistanis and Bangladeshis? What about Somalans within the Muslim community? Funding needs to develop those voices too."
The Arts Council and decibel has also partnered with The Bookseller, the book industry's leading magazine to conduct research into an industry which, Samenua says, describes itself as a 'white, middle-class ghetto". While BME writers may be on the shelves, it's futile if booksellers don't promote them. "We called it the 'fear factor', the fear of getting it wrong," says Samenua.
"So we devised Books For All to integrate marketing initiatives with support for booksellers to change the way they market books."
Books For All will be the first time booksellers have marketed their books to BME customers. It launches in London and Birmingham from May 26th to June 24th 2007 in selected bookstores. Other projects include the International Curators Forum, the first major gathering of international African, Asian and Caribbean curators, writers, artists and critics at the Venice Biennale, followed by events in Munster, Istanbul and London.
That diversity initiatives do not compromise on quality is implicit. "It's not as though artists we're supporting are substandard because of the remit," says Samenua. "Quite the opposite. And it's wretched to have to pluck something out instead of it emerging." Publishing house training schemes are another example. BME applicants are typically low - unless the scheme is targeted at them.
"Historically, these industries have felt off-limits," says Samenua, "so there is a need for direct initiatives."
As Hassan explains, "If we were trying to create an alternative arts landscape, populated by BME artists in parallel to the main arena, I'd agree. But we're trying to create leverage to ensure BME artists stand a chance of entering the bigger picture without compromising on quality. It would be condescending to do otherwise. We're building blocks for the future."
It seems diversity is not a dirty word. Samenua recalls a conference speech years ago by Chris Smith, the-then Culture Secretary. "He said, 'To treat me equally you may have to treat me differently'. Sometimes intervention is the answer. Doing nothing is not OK if you want equality."
Further reading: The Bookseller industry report (PDF)
Its attempts to promote cultural diversity have invited criticism including claims of 'inverted racism'.And yet, research shows the Arts Council's diversity initiatives are not only necessary to adjust the imbalance on the British arts scene, but also profoundly affect multi-cultural Britain.
Decibel was launched by the Arts Council in 2003 to raise the profile of under-represented BME (black and minority ethnic) artists. It has staged two Performing Arts Showcases, in 2003 and 2005, the first attracting over 300 international delegates and generating £260,000 in bookings for 40 artists. In 2004, decibel launched curatorial traineeships and in 2005, it partnered with the British Book Awards, the 'Nibbies', and presented the first decibel Writer of the Year Award to Hari Kunzru.
So far so good. But it was another project with publisher Penguin, to find emerging writing talent, when diversity hit the fan. The project was criticised by the BNP, who claim the award is anti-white, urging its members 'to boycott Penguin books'. In January 2007, the award was investigated by the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), following a "string of complaints".
They concluded that banning white authors from competing was "unlawful" because it breached the Race Relations Act 1976.
That the CRE could uphold a BNP complaint is somewhat unsettling but as Samenua Sesher, director of decibel, explains, it wasn't really about that. "The broader issue is, how useful is the law is in supporting [racial] equality? Disability support has been robust, but there's more room for ambiguity with race equality, partly because it's untested."
Plus, decibel is used to criticism - since launch, it's attracted a constant torrent of it. What's surprising is the source. "The BNP aside, the Daily Mail also ran a negative piece about our visual arts curating schemes. But the hardest to swallow is from members of the diverse arts community itself - Asian, African and Caribbean practitioners who say projects like decibel are divisive. They call it inverted racism as they support one group and exclude others, adding separation to society."
A pamphlet published by think-tank Policy Exchange, Culture Vultures: Is UK arts policy is damaging the arts?, edited by Munira Mirza, also criticises decibel, saying, "These decisions create a distinct institutional stratum, BME culture."It seems strange to decibel's director. "These views take the position that we have an equal society. And we don't," says Samenua. "I'm dismayed that's not contested enough. When exclusion happens as a by-product of a mindset, deliberate or not, it's increasingly uncontested - yet a magnifying glass is applied to projects which attempt to help. I'd be delighted if these projects weren't necessary, if it was a level playing field, but it's not."
As Diana Evans, 2006 decibel Penguin Book prize winner, said, "It helps get ethnic minority writers in the limelight. Eventually in an ideal world you won't have a need."
That the Arts Council is adding to the problem is a polarising argument, according to Hassan Mahamdallie, Senior Strategy Officer at the Arts Council. "None of us can say we've done everything right. But ever since Naseem Khan's 1976 'The Art Britain Ignores', we've been trying to equalise access to the arts. At times, it's fruitless, other times, it's done well."
"If criticism is due, it's that we've not looked at diversity in terms of socio-economics," he continues. "Take South Asians. Funding goes to articulate, urbane, middle-class applicants but what about Pakistanis and Bangladeshis? What about Somalans within the Muslim community? Funding needs to develop those voices too."
The Arts Council and decibel has also partnered with The Bookseller, the book industry's leading magazine to conduct research into an industry which, Samenua says, describes itself as a 'white, middle-class ghetto". While BME writers may be on the shelves, it's futile if booksellers don't promote them. "We called it the 'fear factor', the fear of getting it wrong," says Samenua.
"So we devised Books For All to integrate marketing initiatives with support for booksellers to change the way they market books."
Books For All will be the first time booksellers have marketed their books to BME customers. It launches in London and Birmingham from May 26th to June 24th 2007 in selected bookstores. Other projects include the International Curators Forum, the first major gathering of international African, Asian and Caribbean curators, writers, artists and critics at the Venice Biennale, followed by events in Munster, Istanbul and London.
That diversity initiatives do not compromise on quality is implicit. "It's not as though artists we're supporting are substandard because of the remit," says Samenua. "Quite the opposite. And it's wretched to have to pluck something out instead of it emerging." Publishing house training schemes are another example. BME applicants are typically low - unless the scheme is targeted at them.
"Historically, these industries have felt off-limits," says Samenua, "so there is a need for direct initiatives."
As Hassan explains, "If we were trying to create an alternative arts landscape, populated by BME artists in parallel to the main arena, I'd agree. But we're trying to create leverage to ensure BME artists stand a chance of entering the bigger picture without compromising on quality. It would be condescending to do otherwise. We're building blocks for the future."
It seems diversity is not a dirty word. Samenua recalls a conference speech years ago by Chris Smith, the-then Culture Secretary. "He said, 'To treat me equally you may have to treat me differently'. Sometimes intervention is the answer. Doing nothing is not OK if you want equality."
Further reading: The Bookseller industry report (PDF)
