We support the call led by @TheatreCTA and #PullUpOrShutUp for greater transparency around Black representation across our industry.

Battersea Arts Centre aims to inspire positive change, to be a hub for everyone’s creativity and a home for our local community. We are working on making our organisation more inclusive so that it truly represents the communities we serve. This work is not over, and there is still much left to do.    

We are sharing data on the make up of our staff team, board and artists we have programmed. We are publishing what we can at this point, in the context of high levels of disruption due to Covid-19. Where data is not available, this is indicated by a dash (-). Data in ‘Now’ columns is a snapshot of the present moment, however due to ongoing disruption and uncertainty ahead, we aim to re-publish this data in six months time.     

The information below is based on data parameters set by Arts Council England. In our monitoring processes, we use alternative methods that invite people to self-identify.

Our Staff Team
Data on our casual staff and freelancers at the present moment is not up to date, due to Covid-19 disruptions.  Our Management Team
The data below is also accounted for in Staff Team (Permanent & Fixed Term) in the table above.    

Our Board

Our Artists
We have split out comedy one-nighters from theatre to provide a more detailed narrative of representation across our programme. Data from 2020/21 is incomplete, so percentages are not directly comparable to previous years, which cover a full, 12 month period. 
   

What we’ve done so far:

• Launched a Diversity Action Plan in 2015.
• In 2016, we set an ambition to represent the diversity of London in our staff team by 2022.
• Set the target that 50% of our Board of Trustees would be POC by 2020. We met this target in April this year.
• Implemented changes to our recruitment processes to minimise unconscious bias.
• Ran unconscious bias training for staff and developed an organisational Code of Conduct collaboratively with the staff team through open space sessions.
• Launched paid opportunities that develop and empower young people from diverse backgrounds to make positive change in their communities, such as London Theatre Consortium Apprenticeships and The Agency.
• Long term investment in festivals and shows co-created with local young people from diverse backgrounds such as Frankenstein, which toured to Edinburgh Festival and internationally.      
• Investment in seasons that showcase the work of artists from diverse backgrounds, such as Going Global in Spring 2020.
• Launched as a Relaxed Venue in February 2020. This process focused on removing barriers for disabled people, but also resulted in organisational change that has made BAC more inclusive overall.   

Work still to do:

• Introduce a Staff Sounding Board to devise and consult on organisational culture, policies and staff development – including identifying and removing any barriers to progression for Black people and POC into management positons.
• Update our Code of Conduct to include safe/r spaces policies for Black people, POC and Trans people.
• Support staff-led anti-racist initiatives and commit to being an active anti-racist voice in our industry.
• Increase awareness of recruitment for new roles in our staff team among our existing diverse communities, such as volunteers, participants and local people.
• Introduce Rooney Rule for recruitment processes and/or involve POC staff in every recruitment, with particular focus on senior management recruitment.
• As a Relaxed Venue, increase awareness and understanding of intersectionality in relation to race and other protected characteristics through training and learning opportunities.
• Build relationships with more established Black and POC artists & comedians, and programme for longer runs.
• Create long-term opportunities for Black and POC artists to lead co-created work with our communities.
• Improve data collection across our artistic programme.
• Devise bi-annual monitoring to reflect upon improvements in representation, especially for commissioning/programming Black and POC artists and our commitment to 20% disabled-led work.