Latest update October 2023
This document came from a consultation process in 2021 with Global Majority artists and creative practitioners with lived experience of racism in Scotland. We pledge to uplift the voices of people who experience racism in the framing of the actions and language of this document.
We acknowledge that this document is a starting point and that we are all on a learning journey. We may not get everything right but we want to do the right thing, and actively encourage feedback and input. We commit to making this a safe process for anyone who would like to contribute and to remunerate appropriately for the labour involved.
If you would like to get in touch with any comments, questions or amendments to this document, please contact Marion Bourbouze.
This document is reviewed every year to review our organisation's progress, share learning, and assess our impact.
Commitments
By signing up to this document, Imaginate commits to the following actions as a minimum standard. We will:
- Keep an up-to-date Anti-Racism Policy and Action Plan which is publicly available and includes specific actions and targets.
- Ensure a percentage of our annual budget is dedicated to anti-racist training and actions and publish this % in our action plan. => We have allocated 10% of our Management and Administration budget to anti-racism.
- Provide annual Global Majority-led anti-racism training for all staff, including freelancers and board members, and be transparent about who is providing the training. => We are currently undertaking long-term anti-racism training with Rey Dosaj from Aug 23-June 24.
- Actively develop equitable partnership projects with Global Majority led organisations, ensuring fair payment for time/services rendered and amplifying their work where possible.
- Commit to increase the number of Global Majority professionals working for our organisation, including employees and freelancers. We will publish specific data on the diversity of our workforce and the steps we are taking to increase (or maintain) it.
=> In 2022-23, we supported 27.7% Global Majority artists through our Creative Development programme. - Ensure Global Majority individuals/organisations are included in panels that are assessing applications for opportunities such as commissions, funding and callouts.
=> We ensure that Global Majority artists are regularly part of panel processes. - Ensure that over the course of each year, Global Majority people are represented within our projects and our shows, including as lead artists or lead characters.
- Ensure there are Global Majority members on our board, and that we have taken specific steps to make sure it is a safe space for them.
=> There are currently 2 board members from the Global Majority. - Ensure all our auditions include Global Majority candidates and look beyond Scotland if we need to. Casting budget will reflect this.
- Commit to offering interviews to all Global Majority applicants who meet the minimum requirements for a job/opportunity in line with other Equalities recruitment processes.
- Ensure there is enough time to enable proper consultation with Global Majority organisations and reach Global Majority artists and freelancers when advertising opportunities to ensure we reach beyond our usual networks.
=> While we are trying to develop links with Global Majority organisations, we are very aware that there are currently no RFO- funded Global Majority organisations in Scotland and therefore limited capacity within them to help us reach beyond our usual networks. - Provide an option for people interested in jobs or opportunities to discuss it in advance with someone in our organisation to help break barriers for people new to our organisation.
=> All jobs and opportunities include an option to contact someone in the organisation to discuss it in advance. - As part of the YAG group, we will continue to hold funders and membership organisations in the Scottish arts sector to account re: their anti-racism actions. This means:
- To use our leverage and relationships to keep anti-racism on the agenda
- To request support for our individual and collaborative anti-racist actions and challenge inaction or lack of support
- As part of the YAG group, we commit to exploring ways to develop a complaint and whistleblowing process at an industry level within a year.
=> This has proven very difficult to pursue and we are still waiting to meet with someone at Creative Scotland to see what support they could offer. Given the current financial constraints they are under, this may be particularly difficult to get off the ground.