Report calls for new approach to curatorial diversity

Museums and galleries need to do more to address structural and institutional racism, according to a report published this week on the impact of diversity initiatives on curatorial roles in the UK arts and heritage sector.

The call to tackle racism is among a range of recommendations in the report, which was created by two Black-led organisations: Museum X, a community interest company that works with people to explore stories of pan-African history and culture in Britain, and Culture&, an independent arts and education charity. The It's About Handing Over Power report, which looked at the impact of diversity initiatives from 1998-2021, was commissioned by the Art Fund.

The report argues that most diversity initiatives in the UK arts and heritage sector have failed to make the curatorial workforce more representative.

Other recommendations include the need to focus on specific initiatives leading to permanent curatorial employment, rather than generic entry-level or temporary roles, and for funders to actively work with institutions to recognise the burdens of people of colour, and to provide appropriate ways to support and retain staff, and help them gain experience and seniority.

The authors of the report, Museum X founder Sandra Shakespeare and Culture& CEO Errol Francis, are calling on museums, and the funders who support the sector, to come together to create positive change in the area of curatorial workforce diversity.

“We need to look at the systems of power and we absolutely need to look at structural racism which, in some cases, has been going on for far too long in institutions,” said Shakespeare at the launch of the report at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. “And we need increased funding to support culturally diverse and Black-led arts spaces.

“We're looking for more radical leadership that takes those broad, brave and bold decisions. We need to keep constantly challenging and pushing and working together in a way that's far more strategically aligned to bring about change.”

Francis called on the sector to improve research and data on workforce diversity and to create new and better funded career pathways.

“We need to encourage school-aged children to see museums as good places to work and we need to collaborate with the higher education sector to increase the number of diverse students. 

“And we need to focus on specific initiatives that lead to permanent employment rather than the generic entry-level jobs. These taster schemes don't really lead to real jobs.”

Sharon Heal, the director of the Museums Association (MA), said: “The MA wholeheartedly welcomes this report and all of the recommendations. It is a sobering read and we have to acknowledge that many past initiatives to make our workforce more inclusive and representative of wider society have simply not worked. 

“It is vital that we take this opportunity now for a generational shift. This is an urgent priority for the MA, our members and the wider sector. It is all of our responsibility to make sure the recommendations are delivered and we will continue to work with other sector bodies to do that. This work is inextricably linked to decolonialism and anti-racism, which we are supporting through professional development, funding and practical guidance and training.”

There is more on the MA's anti-racism work here and more on the organisation's decolonisation campaign here. The MA has also developed an online learning course on anti-racism

Report recommendations

• To fund, increase and share high-quality research on career pathways of participants in arts and heritage diversity schemes with appropriately funded longitudinal studies and the creation of a dataset that tracks demographics of the curatorial workforce, including freelancers.
• Museums and galleries to encourage school-age children to think of their organisations as good places to work, and collaborate with the higher education sector to increase diverse students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, widen participation and create stronger pipelines and training schemes.
• To support a focus on specific initiatives leading to permanent curatorial employment, rather than generic entry-level or temporary roles.
• To take an evidence-based approach to actively influence leadership on diversity policy and antiracism at a central and local government level, and by arm’s-length bodies.
• For funders to actively work with institutions, ensuring accountability, recognising the burdens of people of colour, and provide appropriate modes of support to retain staff, helping them gain experience and, importantly, seniority.
• Greater investment in anti-racism and ethical curatorial practice, and to tackle individual cases of institutional racism by working collaboratively with diverse workers and their trade union representatives.
• To address structural and institutional racism in funding criteria to ensure a more equitable allocation of funding.
• Increased funding for and support to culturally diverse and Black-led spaces, collectives, organisations and initiatives.
• To put in place funding and structures to better support and enable independent curators and practitioners, both inside and outside of institutions, investing in new and alternative models.
• Increased dialogue, knowledge-sharing and collaboration between funders, cultural organisations, and academic bodies.