ACE to consider long-term future of race and disability groups

A review of the role of Arts Council England's Race Advisory and Disability Advisory Groups will be conducted, it has been confirmed.

Minutes of a meeting of ACE's National Council, the board with overall responsibility for the organisation's governance, reveal that the review will involve "reflecting on [the advisory group's] long-term future" and their relationship with the National Council.

The decision follows an independent review into diversity and inclusion within Arts Council England which highlighted divisions over cases of racism and comes as ACE consider establishing a gender advisory group.

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In the inclusion review published last year, there were some positive examples of staff experiences in relation to ethnicity, particularly at senior levels of leadership; analysis of staff data, interviews and survey responses found that Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse staff at ACE "experience heightened challenges at work".

These include "experiencing micro-aggressions and other forms of racism", colleagues making assumptions about their background and interests and "not feeling able to bring their 'whole self' to work".

Following the review, ACE said it was focused on implementing the recommendations and seeing a "culture change take place", including changing its systems and processes.

The minutes of the National Council meeting show that the decision to review the race and disability working groups followed an externally facilitated review of the National Council's own effectiveness.

The forthcoming review of the race and disability groups is one of several actions requested by the National Council to "improve its effectiveness".

Others include an increase in the number of updates the body receives on the health of the arts and cultural sector, how ACE's work has been delivered against it, and further data on how ACE is performing and delivering against expectations and the aims set out in its Delivery Plan.

An Arts Council England spokesperson said both groups were established in 2020 to provide feedback and advice to its Executive Board and National Council on strategy implementation, such as the Delivery Plan 2021-24 and the design of the National Portfolio investment process.

"This is a routine review, which we undertake as part of the evaluation process of any internal oversight groups at the organisation, reflecting on what has been achieved and agreeing focus for future output," the spokesperson said.

"The timeline for this review is still being finalised internally, with the outcome to be published in the National Council minutes in due course."

Gender advisory group

ACE is also considering establishing a gender advisory board following a meeting last week with leading women from the theatre sector.

The meeting discussed key findings from a five-year research project into gender equality in theatre, authored by Jennifer Tuckett, former Research and Literary Director at Sphinx Theatre.

Key findings included that the issue of gender inequality was in danger of being wrongly dismissed as resolved and that where employment statistics may show progress in gender balance, that didn't mean discrimination experienced by women has improved. A lack of childcare and caring responsibilities support was also a repeated finding.

As a result of the meeting, ACE has agreed to take action on discrimination against women in theatre, including working on childcare issues raised and considering the creation of a gender advisory board.

Tuckett described the meeting as "a historic moment".

"The whole group felt that if the Arts Council is able to adopt in particular the idea discussed of a gender advisory group, similar to their disability advisory group and race advisory group, this would be particularly important in ensuring that the under-representation of women and discrimination against women is given the specific focus and attention it needs.

"We are grateful that the Arts Council has agreed to take action and delighted that five years of work has resulted in this”.