Diversity

10 Steps to Make Sense of Answers to Open-Ended Questions

Two-page tip sheet on how to code and analyse qualitative data.

101 Links to Black Writers and Voices

Links to work by black writers, journalists, scholars and other commentators in Australia in the context of Black Lives Matter.

'As I write this on 23 June 2020, the two scholars most cited and promoted on social media in the field of racism and privilege, are White... The promotion of their work over Black writers perpetuates the idea that White people understand racism best, and that only they can solve it. Dangerously, it suggests that racism actually has nothing to do with Black people.'

Creating our Future - 2019 National Arts Participation Survey

Results from the 2019 (pre-COVID) survey of Australians attitudes to the arts. The 2019 survey was translated into community languages for the first time: Arabic, Dinka, Mandarin, Spanish, Urdu and Vietnamese.

The research found that the targeted CALD respondents were more likely to attend arts events than Australians overall, and 42% would like to attend more arts than they currently do. CALD respondents are also nearly three times more likely to give to the arts than non-CALD respondents.

30+ Ways Asians Perpetuate Anti-Black Racism Everyday

Article listing actions specifically for the Asian community.

'In doing DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) work, I’ve found it useful to actually name the detailed and insidious ways we all participate in oppressing each other.

6 Degrees Dictionary: A User's Guide to Inclusion

6 Degrees is a Canadian initiative that responds to rising nativism and exclusion through connection, artistic representation, online engagement and language. This co-created dictionary examines 12 words responsible for disagreement and misunderstanding, and recasts them to provoke and inspire.

6 Degrees Dictionary: A User's Guide to Inclusion - Videos

Three short videos on the 6 Degrees Dictionary. 6 Degrees is a Canadian initiative that responds to rising nativism and exclusion through connection, artistic representation, online engagement and language. The dictionary recasts 12 words typically responsible for disagreement and misunderstanding.

Nautanki Theatre

Focusing on the South-Asian migrant community, Nautanki Theatre is a performing arts organisation based in Western Sydney aiming to create works truly representing contemporary Australia. It reaches more than 100,000 people every year through its programs.

Reporting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Issues

Guide focused on reporting on Indigenous issues in the Australian media, but with best practice on cultural awareness that is applicable more broadly, such as avoiding assumptions about peoples' appearance and acknowledging the spectrum of views within a community,

A guide for ensuring inclusion and equity in education

An UNESCO guide for policymakers to review how well equity and inclusion currently figure in existing education policies, determine actions to improve policies, and monitor progress. Features an assessment framework spanning concepts, policy statements, structures and systems, and practices.

A Most Magnificent Mosaic

What happened when the Commonwealth Bank's board endorsed a target for 'The cultural diversity of our senior leadership to match the cultural diversity of the Australian population by 2020.' A case study of the strategies, policies, implementation and lessons learned.

A "Postdevelopment" zine

A short zine introducing "Postdevelopment," an approach responding to capitalism, Eurocentrism, Anthropocentrism and ongoing colonial legacies that calls for the end of development and proposes alternatives to it. Resolves definitions of post- and de- colonialism, and offers further reading.

A real history of Aboriginal Australians, the first agriculturalists

Bruce Pascoe introduces his influential research in Australian history, which he wrote about in Dark Emu.

'In 2014 I wrote a book Dark Emu, which exploded the myth that Aboriginal people were mere hunters and gatherers and did nothing with the land. I wrote the book because I found it hard to convince Australians that Aboriginal people were farming.'

ABC Diversity & Inclusion Plan 2019-2022

The ABC Diversity and Inclusion Plan includes key actions tied to responsible people and timeframes for delivery.

'By August 2022 we aim to have:
• 15% of content maker roles and 15% of executive roles filled by CALD employees;
• 3.4% Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander/Indigenous employees;
• 8% employees with disability;
• 20% of technologist roles and 50% of all executive roles to be filled by women'

Adjusting the Colour Balance

Report on how to increase BAME partipation and representation in Film and TV, both in front of, and behind the camera with particular focus on directors. The four recommendations include policy advice on data collection, setting targets, recruitment and contracts.

AFCI + TIME’S UP Foundation Diversity Report 2020

Excellent resource listing diversity initiatives globally in the screen industry by members of ACFI. The report groups initiatives in four categories:

1. Information Sharing
2. Mission and Vision; Policy and Strategy
3. Tax Credits/Rebates/Incentives
4. Workforce Development

It makes recommendations with examples and case studies for implementing leading practice divided into 'quick wins' that can be easily implemented, and those needing 'industry partnerships' and 'deeper investment'.

All Culture is Local

Developed over five years, this Australian Research Council project offers 17 case studies and ‘recipes’ on Cultural Mapping and Data Collection and Cultural Planning. It focuses on council strategies in regional NSW, but many tips are transferable, eg Reuse existing data to save money; Use creative engagement for better results; work collaboratively; Include everyone, not just the ‘usual suspects'. Includes survey questions to use in local culture mapping.

Anti-racism requires so much more than 'checking your privilege'

Article responding to the celebrity 'I take responsibility' pledges sparked by the Black Lives Matter movement.

'The mainstreaming of anti-racist discourse is causing many people to question their own position in the world. As welcome as this is, let’s not stop at self-reflection. Unlearning personal prejudices should coincide with undoing the structures, logics and economic arrangements that perpetuate global anti-blackness.'

AORTA - Anti-oppression Resource and Training Alliance - Resources

A selection of toolkits, handouts, guides, and other resources created by an American cooperative devoted to strengthening movements for social justice and solidarity economy through intersectional approaches to liberation. Covers transformative justice, racial justice, gender and anti-oppression among other topics.

Artistic Vibrancy

Subtitled 'A way for organisations to talk about artistic impact', this document outlines processes for gathering data and feedback on the artistic vibrancy of an organisation, along with case studies of arts organisations who've done this.

Suggested processes include alumni, artist and audience surveys, community consultation, benchmarking, guest artists interviews, peer review, annual strategic reviews, as well as numerical data such as artist and audience metrics (including items to track).

Assessing impact and the Public Sector Equality Duty

A step-by-step guide for Scottish organisations to assessing impact and equality of projects in accordance with the equality duty under the UK's Equality Act 2010. Includes guidelines on when to conduct an assessment, scoping, analysing information, decision making, publishing and monitoring.

Australia’s media has been too white for too long. This is how to bring more diversity to newsrooms

Article outlining ways to bring more diversity to Australian newsrooms, including offering increased training to CALD journalists, strengthening talent pipelines through better CALD networks, mentorships and events; improving CALD talent pipelines and consulting with people of colour. It also recommends undertaking and publishing regular diversity audits.

'The ABC and SBS publish regular diversity reports, and arguably, the very existence of these reports shows some progress is being made.'

Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture

A comprehensive yet simple guide that contextualises the race outcomes and leadership gaps in the US social sector, and offers approaches for building a 'Race Equity Culture' in your organisation. Identifies equity cycles, investments, levers, vocabularies and and tools.

Being Antiracist

Toolkit and analysis of Anti-Racism.

'Reflect on choices you make in your daily life (i.e., who you build relationships with, what media you follow, where you shop). How do these choices reflect being antiracist?'

BFI diversity standards 'failing to tackle race discrimination in UK film industry'

Article on an evaluation of the BFI Diversity Standards in relation to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) participation after six years in operation by Dr Clive Nwonka from the London School of Economics.

'The research, conducted with the co-operation of the BFI, suggested that BAME participation in the industry remained considerably lower than other under-represented groups, particularly in behind-the-camera roles.'

Black Illustrations

Free digital designs of black people to use in online projects, such as websites, infographics or mobile apps. Over 40 images of people with different skin tones in workplace and medical settings, downloadable as PNG, JPG and Sketch and fully scalable.

Black Men Walking

UK research by Black-led British theatre Eclipse blows away any lingering assumptions that Black artists do not attract a mainstream audience. A three-month tour of Black Men Walking, a play created through a three-year project with 16 Black writers, sold out 71 of its 84 performances, with 428 or 512 respondents rating the show as four or five starts. And only 21.4% of the audience identified as Black.

Budget Equity Assessment Tool

Developed by the US City of Portland for its bureaus, this tool offers a self-assessment to assess how equity is prioritised and addressed within budgets. While not developed for arts projects, this checklist offers insight into methods of equity-testing budgets.

Building Your Plan: A Cultural Equity & Inclusion Toolkit

A worksheet for small orgnanisations to create their own Cultural Equity and Inclusion Plan. This includes crafting a cultural equity statement and building an implementation plan.

Check Our Biases to Wreck Our Biases

Second in a New York Times series on implicit bias, looking at how implicit bias works in selection situations and how some people are auditing their own implicit biases.

Community-Engaged Practice with Jade Lillie and Lia Pa'apa'a

Discussion of the book 'The Relationship is the Practice' edited by Jade Lillie and Lia Pa'apa'a which explores community engagement, collaboration, intersectionality, cultural safety, racial literacy, access and inclusion. Also links to the book.

Convivial Thinking: Critical Decolonial Collaborative - Raï Blog

Short blog posts by members of a global, open group of scholars working on post- and decolonial approaches to development and beyond. ‘Conviviality,’ means equity, mutual respect for others and nature, and assuming joint responsibility for how we live, act, and engage.

Counting Culture: Six Principles for Measuring the Cultural Diversity of Your Workplace

Concepts of identity are crucial to benchmarking diversity. These principles describe the importance of gathering detailed, granular statistics that make room for nuanced identities when mapping the cultural diversity of your organisation.

Courageous Citizens. How Culture Contributes to Social Change

This purchasable book affirms culture as a critical space to practice courage and perseverance towards societal reconfigurations. Aligned with the European funding program of the same name, it features those behind alternative stories, opening up space for questioning the fundamental nature of democracy.

Cracking the Codes: Power Analysis

An analysis of systemic inequality, putting bias in the context of wider history, identities, structures and institutions.

'The current conversation is not only shallow, but actually harmful. We continue to primarily focus on individuals, when institutional and structural inequities are the bigger problem.'

Creative Diversity. The state of diversity in the UK's creative industry and what we can do about it

Report on the economic case for diversifying the creative industry workforce in the UK. The report outlines the case for missed business opportunities and suggests routes of action to combat a lack of diversity.

Creative Industries Council Diversity Charter

One-page charter adopted by members of the UK's Creative Industries Council, including Arts Council England, British Film Institute, Crafts Council, UK Music and UK Interactive Entertainment. It commits the industry to take action in eight areas, including collecting data, increasing talent pipelines, promote diversity at senior levels and setting meaningful targets.

Creatives of Colour

Lead artist Rani Pramesti created this resource as a work under Diversity Arts Australia's Pacesetters project as a response to white privilege and a colonised arts and cultural sector. The site features curated interviews with 'established' creatives of colour.

'My aim is to equip Creatives of Colour with the strategies we need to survive and who knows, maybe eventually, thrive!'

CrossRoads Radio Drama

A six-part radio play aimed at creating awareness on the ‘Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.’ Reveals how the popularity and accessibility of radio can reach beyond the masses to localised communities.

Decolonizing the Internet 2018 Summary Report

A report on the first "Decolonizing the Internet" conference that brought together artists, technologists and practitioners from 28 countries to address challenges, visions and actions for better representation of diversity on the internet.

Design Studio for Social Intervention's "Cultural tactics"

A paper introducing inclusive cultural tactics that expose and amplify some of the complexities of culture in order to dissect challenging social problems. Including US case studies, it shows how cultural tactics can act as leverage points for social justice.

Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

A framework (also known as the 'Bennett scale') to describe how people experience and engage with cultural difference and become more competent intercultural communicators over time. Based on constructivist theory, the model offers six positions as a person's perception of cultural difference becomes more complex, moving from ethnocentrism to ethnorelativism.

The six stages are 'denial', 'defence', 'minimisation', 'acceptance', 'adaptation' and 'integration'.

Diamond: The Third Cut

Report on the third year of Diamond, the world’s first industry-wide collaborative data collection system for monitoring diversity in broadcasting from the UK's Creative Diversity Network.

Diamond accumulated 30,000 responses looking into all forms of diversity. It found that Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) representation on-screen is 23% compared to the UK national figure of 14%. However, BAME people remain absent from many senior creative roles.

Dismantling Racism Works - Action Tools

A selection of action tools developed in the US including the role of change teams and caucuses in race equity work, giving feedback, race equity principles for taking action, and a race equity tool for organisations in developing explicit goals.

Dismantling Racism Works - Analysis Tools

A selection of analysis tools and definitions developed in the US including race equity stages, dynamics of denial and desistance - includng tactics of privilege and resistence, effective problem solving, how a movement is built, and the 'Barriers and Bridges' principles.

Diverse Book Finder

Focused on Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities in the US, this tool allows libraries to upload their catalogue of children's books for an analysis of the representation of different cultures. Crucially this is not only about WHO is represented, but also HOW they are represented, eg, as 'folklore' type tales, as stories of oppression and resilience, or if diverse characters are presented as living lives that are identical or interchangeable with another cultural group.

Diversity Assessment Framework

Under the British Council's Diversity Assessment Framework, each country office must report and provide examples and evidence against 10 indicators of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). The examples must show that EDI is embedded and internalised, both within the internal practices of the organisation and in its external projects. The evidence is assessed every two years by internal and external reviewers, as well as being scored centrally by the British Council Equity Unit.

Diversity Data

Each year the Arts Council England collects, analyses, reports and publishes data relating to equality and diversity of the work, organisations and projects they fund.

The 2018/19 report released in 2020 found 11% of works in the national portfolio organisations are from black and other minority ethnic backgrounds. That compares with 16% of the working-age population.

Diversity & Inclusion Infrastructure Councils DBP Research Request

A report on the allocation of staff and financial resources to diversity and inclusion (D&I) functions from a benchmarking study of finance, healthcare and insurance companies. D&I spend per employee for member organisations varied widely from $12.50 to $250. Includes line categories for the D&I budget, and examples of diversity goals, as well as information on developing a D&I council.

'More than half of the companies benchmarked allocate approximately 2-3% of their overall budget to D&I.'

Diversity & Inclusion Progress Report 2019/20

An analysis of progress made since the adoption of the Creative Industries Diversity Charter. The report provides analysis and case studies of progress for each sector - such as Advertising, Publishing, Arts and TV and Film - focusing on three headline commitments of the charter: Diversity Monitoring, Strategies to Widen Talent Pipelines and Leadership Engagement. It makes recommendations for improvement in each of these areas.

Doing Research Inclusively

These Guidelines for Co-Producing Research with People with Disability, while focused on doing research with people with lived experience of disability, offer leading practice in inclusive research and collaboration. It offers six principles of co-production and strategies and tools for implementation.

.eleven

A collective of Muslim Australian contemporary art practitioners.

Engaged Communities

Infographic with top tips on engaging respectfully with communities, including outlining different types of community engagement (such as the difference between collaborations, co-creations and consultations) and tips on managing power, responsibility and the project's legacy.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

The British Council's global EDI Strategy, featuring three main objectives: an inclusive organisational culture; developing capability and leaders; and performance, impact and legal compliance, as well as key tools for achieving this.

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Equality Monitoring at the British Council

An introduction to the British Council's Equality Monitoring program, and the reasons for undertaking it, and tips for carrying out equality monitoring.

Equality Policy

The British Council's Equality Policy Statement.

'We recognise however that conflict based on ethnic, cultural and other factors, including asylum seeker and refugee status, continues to exist and undermines inclusion. We require all staff, partners and suppliers to ensure no unjustified discrimination on grounds of race/ethnicity occurs and to promote positive and equitable relations between different races/ethnicities and cultures. We have a Race Equality Guide to help ensure this.'

Gary Foley: Advice for white Indigenous activists in Australia

Aboriginal historian, activist and leader, Gary Foley, explains the do's and don't's of white activism.

'If people are serious about wanting to become involved in the struggle for justice, the first thing you need to do is not go and talk to any blackfellas at all, really, you need to look in the mirror - you need to look at yourself, you need to look at yourself, you need to think hard and fast about who you are and make sure you haven't got psychological identity problems of your own.'

Grant Making with a Racial Equity Lens

Toolkit for philanthropists with interviews, examples, case studies and worksheets.

"Drawing on firsthand experiences, the guide offers advice on promoting and deepening your foundation's commitment to racial equity, both internally and in the programs you support.

Horizontal Development: Equitable Development for City-Makers

A toolkit featuring interviews, case studies and activities to introduce "Horizontal Development," a new American urban development approach that centres the margins, highlights diversity, celebrates place and is accountable to those impacted by the racist and classist policies by cities.

How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Video in which Ibram X. Kendi introduces his ground-breaking book 'How to be an Antiracist'.

How to be Anti-Racist in the Arts

What does it mean to be an ally to people of colour? What does it mean to remove blackface from our streaming services? And what can the creative sector do to advance racial equity?

Diversity Arts Australia and the British Council launched the Creative Equity Toolkit with this timely conversation in partnership with Sydney Opera House.

How to Reimagine the World - Collaboration Principles for Artists & Social Justice Organizers

A breakdown of principles for creative collaboration and social justice covering inclusion, wellbeing, power, valuation, relationship building, methodology and cooperation.

How 'white fragility' reinforces racism

Robin DiAngelo unpacks her book White Fragility with clips and examples from movies and TV.

'I am not going to get to where I need to go from a place of white comfort. I'm going to have to get mighty uncomfortable in order to challenge that.'

Hyphenated-Projects

Melbourne-based platform for artists with transcultural practices and a collective that presents, collaborates and develops new ideas. The collective was founded after presenting a survey exhibition of Asian-Australian artists in Victoria at The Substation titled Hyphenated (2018).

Implicit Bias Module Series

Online course aimed at educators to understand and mitigate against unconscious bias.

Inclusive meetings’ nuts and bolts

A comprehensive infographic guide on how to host inclusive, multilingual meetings and events developed by a Quebec-based not-for-profit leading numerous projects on anti-oppression in community organisations.

Inclusive Pathways Framework

Report for the Australian Film, Television and Radio School looking at barriers to inclusion and ways to combat them.

'A key support that several consultees for this project mentioned was tracking opportunities for career progression and making them known to aspirants to kindle ambitions and find ways to address barriers.'

'There is a tendency in Australian arts practice to confine under-represented practitioners to ‘community arts’ rather than mainstream, professional content development. '

Indigenous Cultural Protocols and the Arts

Case studies in multiple art forms of how arts organisations have implemented the landmark Australia Council of the Arts Indigenous Protocols, developed in 2002 to ensure Indigenous culture is used ethically and legally with appropriate consultation and consent, according to both Australian copyright law and Indigenous cultural protocols.

Includes question prompts for developing project methodology to ensure respect and consent when making art that draws on another community's culture.

Interrupting Bias: Calling Out vs Calling In

Worksheet with different statements you might use if you choose to call out someone, or call them in.

I've been tempted by righteous anger against racists. It's not much help in changing society

A call to move the focus of the racial equity debate away from individual racism and towards structural racism.

'Blaming people may feel good but it won’t lead to structural change. There has to be a middle ground: of asking people to take responsibility and to step up as allies without alienating them by telling them how terrible they are first.'

Language of Domination: Oppressive Meeting Dynamics

A list that outlines different ways that oppressive dynamics can play out in meetings and in organisations, with a focus on white/ male domination. Shared by a Quebec-based not-for-profit leading numerous projects on anti-oppression in community organisations.

Learning pattern: Centering Marginalised Knowledge

Developed by “Whose Knowledge?,” a global campaign recentering marginalised knowledges online, this "learning pattern" is designed for those who want to support marginalised communities add to Wikimedia projects. It offers critical questions, suggestions, and examples from experiences to illustrate lessons.

Letting the Movement Decide

A report evaluating FRIDA’s impact that documents a funding model designed to promote emerging leadership, respond to changing realities, offer transparency, shift philanthropic power dynamics, and function as a learning and knowledge development hub for broader feminist and philanthropic communities.

Liberate Philanthropy blog series

A blog series featuring stories by thought leaders contributing to justice transitions in philanthropy. Designed to inspire the US sector to re-imagine and practice a new kind of philanthropy that redistributes wealth, democratises power and shifts economic control to communities.

Living Music Report

Survey of programming in Australian Major Performing Arts Organisations in 2019, measuring the diversity of the repertoire of Australia's largest orchestras.

Out of the 2006 works performed across 2019:

'3% were written by female composers
9% were written by Australian composers
19% were written by living composers
0.45% were written by CALD Australian composers
0.05% were written by First Nations composers'

Making Art Work

Of the 48,000 practising professional artists in Australia, only 10% are from a non-English speaking background (NESB). This compares to 18% NESB people in the overall workforce. The number of NESB artists who feel their background had a negative impact on their arts practice increased from 15% in 2009 to 19% in 2017. Twice as many NESB artists say the lack of access to funding or other financial support is the biggest limit to their professional development (18% compared to 9% of others).

Mapping Social Cohesion

The Scanlon Foundation and Monash University have been researching attitudes to multiculturalism in Australia since 2007 through their Mapping Social Cohesion survey. The report includes many survey questions which may inspire questions for audience surveys. Questions include 'To what extent do you have a sense of
belonging in Australia?' and 'To what extent do you believe we should do more to learn about the customs and heritage of different ethnic and cultural groups?'

Martin Parr steps down as artistic director of Bristol Photo Festival

After an 18-month campaign by Mercedes Baptiste Halliday, Magnum photographer Martin Parr steps down from his festival director role after failing to notice racist depictions in a photography book he edited.

'the photographer said he was “ashamed of my association with the book”, writing: “I must have seen the spread in question, but not logged its implication, an oversight that I deeply regret.”'

Maxine Beneba Clarke talks about her new book The Hate Race

Australian author and poet Maxine Beneba Clarke speaks about her memoir The Hate Race.

'I felt that it was important to write The Hate Race. I felt there was a gap in Australian history in terms of migration stories, particularly coming out of the 70s, 80s and 90s, post White Australia Policy. So I wanted to be able to tell the story of what that time was like growing up as a young child of colour in the Australian suburbs.'

Mini IP Toolkit - Considerations Checklist

While not designed for arts projects, this checklist for commercial collaborations from Intellectual Property Australia attempts to ensure that major drivers and interests of all parties are understood and catered for in a collaboration contract. A hand one-page checklist to help make resources, IP and power structures explicit.

No Straight Lines

An interactive online publication, guide and practical resource prepared by a world-leading participatory grantmaking and capacity-building fund to share recommendations and engage other INGOs and funders in dialogue on how to work with young feminist organisers for transformation.

Nonprofit Executives and the Racial Leadership Gap: A Race to Lead Brief

This report explores the gaps between not-for-profit executive leaders of color and white leaders, and compares executives to staff in the US. It features findings from the Race to Lead survey of 4000+ across the American sector, including a secondary consultation focused on executives.

Notes on a Cultural Strategy for Belonging

A report outlining ‘a cultural strategy for belonging’ that centres the leadership, voices, storytelling, practices, and knowledge of marginalised peoples and communities in America. Offers resources, evidence, case studies, and a workshop module aimed at artists, organisers, cultural strategists, funders, among others.

Open Diversity Data

Links to published diversity data for a range of mostly tech-based organisations, including AirBnb, Facebook, Netflix and Twitter.

'Companies already collect data about their employee demographics. Let's ask them to publish it. Open diversity data will make it easier for everyone to better understand the diversity landscape and work toward solutions.'

Oscars Announce New Inclusion Requirements for Best Picture Eligibility

Representation standards will apply to the Oscars from 2022. Films nominated for Best Picture must meet two out of four Academy Inclusion Standards, which address race, gender, LGBTQ+ and disability.

'In 2016, after they failed to nominate any person of color among their 20 acting nominees, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who was Academy President at the time, took historic action by committing to doubling the number of women and diverse members by 2020, which they have achieved.'

Other peoples’ stories

Wiradjuri writer, teacher and academic Jeanine Leane ponders questions of representation and who had the right to tell another person's story.

'if non-Indigenous people are still only encountering Indigenous people via the works of non-Indigenous writers/historians/filmmakers/artists, then are they really encountering us at all?'

Our routes: Women's node - an illustrated journey of women in community network

An illustrated reflection and guide on the experiences of women in male-dominated technological community networks. Documenting contributions from intimate womens’ circles alongside checklists and infograpthics, it addresses barriers and opportunities in education, partnership, and empowerment for building and leading community networks.

"Our Stories, Our Knowledges" resource series

A resource series for marginalised communities working on knowledge production, featuring stories, lessons, tools and tips. Part 1: Decolonising Our Stories and Knowledges, Part 2: Transformative Practices for Building Community Knowledges, Part 3: Adding Our Knowledge to Wikipedia, Part 4: How to Ally and Be a Good Guest.

Out of Context #5: Appreciation vs. Appropriation of Cultural Musical Objects

A 10-part series that addresses the topic of cultural appropriation as it intersects with both Western European-based classical music and the broader social landscape.

'I do not doubt [John] Cage’s sincerity with his use of the I Ching, and his emersion into Zen and Japanese culture was probably deep and profound. But in a world where we celebrate the ideas of individual geniuses like John Cage, how do we also acknowledge the source communities for these ideas?'

Pay the Rent

Video hosted by Bangarra Dance Company's Luke Currie-Richardson about the campaign towards reparations which takes the form of a land tax scheme where property owners pay rent to traditional owners.

Natalie Cromb tells him: 'We're asking people to check their privilege, and use it for us, because the government is never going to hand anything to us without us fighting for it and we need allies who want to do right, and want to be on the right side of history.'

Podcast: The Black Woman’s Guide to Philanthropy

A podcast focusing on black women in philanthropy. Features the co-founder of BlackHer - an online platform inspiring Black women changemakers, an impact investing expert, CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and co-Director of the Donors of Color Network.

Policy change at Darlinghurst Theatre Company

Darlinghurst Theatre Company in Sydney makes a public commitment to:

'having, at minimum, 50% of all artists in our employ, every year, belonging to an Indigenous, Black or Culturally and Linguistically Diverse community and to having diversity of representation across our season and programming. This will include employment of playwrights, actors, directors and designers.'

Portes Ouvertes: Developing an Anti-Oppression Policy - Some things to keep in mind

A short guide and checklist for developing an anti-oppression policy in your community organisation. Developed by a Quebec-based anti-oppression leader, it covers assessing organisational strengths, identifying areas for improvement and where to focus trainings.

Power and Privilege in the 21st Century Museum

This accessible publication shares tactics for change emerging from the US Museums Association (MA) Transformers programme. It covers commentary from the MA community, and offers practical guidance for people who want to work in a more inclusive way in the sector.

Power Moves: Your essential philanthropy assessment guide for equity and justice

A comprehensive self-assessment toolkit from the US (requiring sign-up), that helps funders determine how well you are building, sharing and wielding power and identify ways to transform your programs and operations for lasting, equitable impact and justice.

Power Points

Designed for activist campaigns, the power analysis tool makes power relations explicit in relation to a disputed issue (such as creative control of a project, decisions on cultural representation).

'The Power Analysis tool is, more than anything else, a tool for giving structure to conversations and inquiries. The value of the tool emerges for the participants as they construct it.'

#PowerShifts Resources: Reclaiming Representation

The introductory post to a blog series by Oxfam’s ‘From Poverty to Power’ offering stories, projects and resources addressing blindspots in development work, and how to make power shifts happen. Features a special focus on other ways of telling stories and decolonising knowledge.

Practicing Equity: Activating Oppositional Consciousness from the Margin

A short article outlining how oppositional consciousness can be thought of as a technology that marginalised leaders can develop and practice in order to create strategies to navigate and reconfigure power while resisting its dysfunctions.

Qualitative Methods - A Non-Exhaustive List

Examples, and pros and cons, of different qualitative data collection methods, including observing data, focus groups, walking interviews and art-based evaluations. With practical guidelines for observing data, running focus groups, and coding key themes in survey responses.

Also includes evaluation templates, including an observation form, interview summary, a coding spreadsheet and a before and after coding template.

Race Equality Guide

The British Council's guide to good practice in racial equality. It identifies racism and the ways in which it manifests globally; addresses the ways in which race and ethnicity sit within the Council's approach to equality, diversity and inclusion, and sets out actions and case studies for change, such as challenging stereotypes, addressing under-representation and communicating inclusion.

Race to Lead: Women of Color in the Nonprofit Sector

Drawing from the Race to Lead survey of 4000+ across the American not-for-profit sector, this report engages an intersectional analysis to examine how women of colour encounter more systemic obstacles than white women and men of colour in the sector.

Racism. It Stops With Me

Australian Human Rights Commission campaign and guide on how to conduct a conversation about racism, along with videos and other resources.

'The tips and conversation questions in this guide have been developed based on consideration of Australian and international research on anti-racism strategies, current Australian Human Rights Commission education resources and training guides, and human rights education principles and pedagogies.'

Remixing Europe: unveiling the imagery of migrants in European media

Available via free download, this book examines imageries of migrants in European media. Produced out of ‘Remapping Europe, A Remix Project Highlighting the Migrant’s Perspective,’ it explores concepts, tools, and case studies to re-view, re-investigate and re-consider prevailing imageries of migrants.

Requirements of funded organisations

Arts Council England (ACE) funded organisations in bands 1-3 are monitored against the Creative Case for Diversity, ACE’s initiative on diversity in arts, arts leadership and audiences. These monitoring prompts include appendices which outline the indicators used to monitor performance against the Creative Case for Diversity and the evidence used to establish the indicators gathered through the organisation’s activity, ACE’s contact with the organisation and its annual report.

Resource Mobilization Toolkit

A comprehensive toolkit by a world-leading participatory grantmaking and capacity-building fund to support creative and practical thinking on resource mobilisation, particularly for girls, young women and trans youth. Can be used by organisations and individuals with different levels of skills and experience.

Resourcing Black Lives

List of resources from the UK's Skin Deep.

'The struggle for black liberation in the UK, the US and globally must be rooted in protecting and resourcing strength and joy in black communities.'

Rob Guest Endowment cancels lucrative theatre prize over diversity controversy

Article on the cancelling of a $50,000 endowment for Australian musical theatre in 2020 amid criticism of the lack of racial diversity among the 30 semifinalists, including from the semifinalists themselves.

The semifinalists said "We fervently denounce the actions of the endowment, including but not limited to silencing POC and First Nations voices, misrepresenting us and our stance on the matter, and the lack of transparency that has occurred from within the endowment.”

Seeing Ourselves

Screen Australia's landmark report looks at diversity in 1961 main characters in 199 Australian TV dramas between 2011 and 2015. It found a disappointing disparity between representation and reality:

Non-Anglo Celtics On screen: 18%. In the community: 32%
Europeans On screen: 6%. In the community: 12%
Non-Europeans, eg from Asia, Africa, Middle East On screen: 7%. In the community: 17%
Indigenous Australians On screen: 5%. In the community: 3%

Shifting the Balance

Survey of 200 of Australia’s leading arts and culture organisations measuring cultural and linguistic diversity (CALD) at the leadership level (39% of Australia's population is CALD).

'* Approximately half (51%) of the major cultural organisations had no CALD representation at the leadership level.
* Only 9% of the 1,980 leaders of our major cultural institutions are CALD Australians
* Non-CALD Australians are nine times more likely to occupy cultural leadership roles than CALD Australians'

Social / Justice / Practice: Exploring the Role of Artists in Creating a More Just and Social Public

A short paper from “A Working Guide to the Landscape of Arts for Change,” it reveals a dynamic new third space in the US, where activists and artists create social interventions that can shift “small-c culture” and create public impact.

Spot Racism Online

European Union project giving step-by-step guidance on how to report hate speech and racism online to social media platforms, media organisations and others.

'Spot Racism Online, the Practical Guide of the LIGHT ON Project, aims is to assist and encourage all Internet and social media users to end hate speech online, by providing information and suggestions on how to act against hate speech in an easy and safe manner. '

Statement on Cultural Equity

Americans for the Arts Statement on Cultural Equity.

#Talk about Trayvon

A resource for white people encouraging them to have 'courageous conversations' among friends and family and on social media about the death of Trayvon Martin, on the fifth anniversary of his death. Includes prompts and scripts.

Talking about Race

Resources and links for anti-racism, self-reflection on racial identity and systems of oppression

Tara June Winch wins 2020 Miles Franklin award for her book The Yield: ‘It broke my heart to write'

Wiradjuri writer Tara June Winch talks about winning Australia's prestigious Miles Franklin literary award for her book The Yield.

"This is true, every historical violence was word for word. So the language is true, the history of the language was true, what colonisation did to that part of Australia is true. So there’s a lot of historical fact in it, that’s more my point of truth. You can learn a lot from it; I learned a lot from writing it.”

The Black Woman’s Guide to Philanthropy

An online guide designed to celebrate “Black women’s philanthropy,” and support the collective giving of Black women. Contextualises the American philanthropic context, offers definitions, shares tips for giving and other resources, outlines relevant issues and impact, and highlights inspirational leaders.

The Case for Reparations

Ground-breaking article from the US in which Coates argues for reparations to be paid to the African American community for legalised discrimination and the systemic extraction of wealth from them, which he argues continued beyond the emancipation of slaves in 1865. He uses the example of housing policy to demonstrate the ways in which African Americans were denied access to wealth and resources.

The Equity Lab

An American leader in disrupting racial and ethnic inequity by engaging organisations in issues of race, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Offer trainings, deep engagement and fellowship programs - The Nexus Fellowship and Seeding Disruption - through honest guidance and partnership.

The far-right and other speculative fictions for Europe

A filmed talk and timelapsed graphic illustration of two events on political imagination leading up to the 2019 European Parliamentary Elections. One focused on the ‘identitarian’ narratives of the far-right in Europe, the other centred on a speculative fiction workshop on European futures.

“Five S” Methodology for Designing Effective Social Interventions

A handout on US-based DS4SI’s “5 S methodology,” signifying Structure, System, Scale, Symbol and Sensation. It is shared as a first step towards designing effective social interventions by exploring and understanding the social, cultural and political terrain before beginning justice work.

The Great White Social Justice Novel

Review of reviews of US work American Dirt and Australian novelist Anna Krien's Act of Grace.

'The white standpoint of the writer, her appropriation of the stories and voices of non-white characters, have mostly gone unacknowledged in this literary reception.'

The Opportunity Agenda - Explore section

Resources section developed by The Opportunity Agenda, an American communication lab working to advance the impact of the social justice community. Covers how to shape narratives and messages, and ways for artists and culture makers to shift the public discourse.

The sorry part is easy – why true racial diversity in the arts will take more than words

'Because the arts scene is often based on unspoken rules, networking and gatekeeping, there are generally no channels for complaint if you are typecast or overlooked as “inexperienced” based on race.'

“Theatre Can’t Miss This Moment”: An Interview with Audra McDonald

US theatre legend Audra McDonald speak on theatre, race and colour-blind casting.

'There are so few directors of color...a lot of the trouble would be solved if you had other people of color in the room saying, “Well, this is why you’re getting blowback right now,” or “Just open your mind to this,” or “Why are we not telling more of these people’s—our people’s—stories?” You have no one in the room thinking about that, because they can have the privilege to not have to think about that'.

‘There are no more excuses’: six industry insiders on Australian TV's problem with race

Creatives of colour discuss issues in the Australian screen industry.

Benjamin Law: 'On The Family Law, the team demonstrated that when gatekeepers make the excuse, “Oh, there aren’t enough actors of a certain background” – that’s bullshit. You just haven’t made the effort to find them. Yes, it’s harder than just calling up the same Caucasian faces that you already know. Taking the time is the only way you’re going to do it.'

‘Tokenised, silenced’: new research reveals Indigenous public servants’ experiences of racism

Australian research into the experiences of Indigenous people in the workplace and why there's a consistent lack of representation at leadership levels.

'A deeper understanding about what racism is and how race works is a good place to start. Non-Indigenous colleagues and managers must commit to anti-racist workplaces. This requires managers to act on reports of racism - the continued failure to do so makes them complicit in perpetuating white supremacy.'

UK film sector failing to tackle systemic discrimination of BAME individuals

Summary article and link to research on the effectiveness of the British Film Industry Diversity Standards, launched in 2016, which require funded productions to meet diversity criteria, by Dr Clive Nwonka, from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

'Britain’s black and ethnic minority population remain excluded from key areas of the industry, with BAME representation still mostly located in secondary roles rather than as lead characters or in key production roles.'

Using Graphics to Report Evaluation Results

Advice on how to choose among different types of graphics and charts when presenting evaluation data.

'Graphics can also tell a story, showing proportions, comparisons, trends, geographic and technical data and, in the case of photographs, putting a “human face” on a project.'

Vision, Values, and Voice: A Communications Toolkit

This toolkit provides guidance for developing values-based messages to inspire engagement, combat 'compassion fatigue', disrupt dominant narratives, and help shape public dialogue. Features big picture thinking for communications strategy, tips for and examples of tactics, and concrete messaging guidance in “opportunity flashcards” that link values with marketing strategies.

Voice, Agency & Integrity Report

The “Voice, Agency and Integrity” Report compiles issues, direct experiences and potential solutions to entrenched barriers that were identified in key-note industry addresses and expert forums at a creative sector symposium in Australia. The report calls on the arts to:

'• make CALD artists and creatives more visible
• measure diversity to increase diversity
• take affirmative action
• create an enabling environment
• support the role of DARTS
• ‘Make our own door’.'

Voices: The building blocks of social change

A reflection by a South African community development leader on finding her voice, and becoming more conscious of the power that lies in voice. Explores how engaging with and supporting authentic voices can shift the quality of conversation, human engagement and changemaking.

Western Australian Screen Industry Diversity and Inclusion Roadmap 2017-2023

A roadmap for Western Australian screen producers encouraging action in the areas of storytelling, key talent, workforce and training opportunities.

'This Roadmap sets out a challenge for the industry in all its core practices – the creation of screen projects, events, activities or provision of services – to deliver against at least three out of four diversity targets.'

What are microagressions?

Short video explaining microagressions and what to do if you are subjected to them.

What is Systemic Racism?

An 8-part video series from the US on how racism shows up in our lives across institutions and society: Wealth Gap, Employment, Housing Discrimination, Government Surveillance, Incarceration, Drug Arrests, Immigration Arrests, Infant Mortality.

Around 1 minute each.

When Calling Out Makes Sense

Article looking at calling in and calling out, the legitimacy of rage in the face of oppression and the role of power in call out culture. The article responds to an earlier viral article by Ahmad promoting call ins as an alternative to call outs.

'When we insist that all of these conversations must remain in the private sphere, we are insisting that accountability is always a private matter. The history of our movements very clearly shows the opposite is often the case.'

White People Are Noticing Something New: Their Own Whiteness

Article on white people in the US becoming aware of their racial identity for the first time.

'For a long time, many white people assumed it was our due, as the majority, to encounter various racial others and marvel at the exotic things they ate, built or wore. Now we can go online and find people of color doing the gawking, offering jokes and anthropological scrutiny about white people’s underseasoning food, mistreating potato salad or eschewing washcloths.'

White people say they want to be an ally to Black people. But are they ready for sacrifice?

Article exploring the cost to well-meaning white people of true racial equity, and whether they would are willing to pay it.

'Neither the sudden compulsion toward acts of kindness, nor a genuine concern for the experiences of people of color, constitute true allyship...Real allyship enacted by White Americans, with a clear objective to make equitable the lived experiences of individuals across racial lines, means a willingness to lose things.'

Whitebox

Launching in 2020, Whitebox is a planning system to assist organisations to choose which cultural activities will best fulfil their objectives. Whitebox captures data throughout the planning process to evaluate if the original objectives were met.

CDN offers a free Plan Doctor Service for organisations wishing to build their cultural development plan based on the CDN Framework. This includes email advice, over the phone advice, teleconference meetings, and requesting feedback on draft plans.

Whose life is it anyway? Novelists have their say on cultural appropriation

Hari Kunzru, Kamila Shamsie, Aminatta Forna and others on writing outside their experience.

Ask 'Did I find it easier to write about this because I filtered it through a white gaze and thus made it palatable for a largely white publishing industry? And most of all, and this bears repeating, don’t get defensive. Because you may be making a larger conversation about marginalised communities, and their ability to tell their own stories in their own voices, all about yourself.' ~ Nikesh Shukla

Why All Parents Should Talk With Their Kids About Social Identity

A survey conducted by the University of Chicago and the team behind ‘Sesame Street’ found that most parents don’t talk with their kids about aspects of social identity, such as race, class, gender and religion. This NPR episode looks at why parents can be scared to answer kids’ questions like ‘why is that person darker than me?’ or ‘why is that person wearing that hat?’.

Will we get there hire by hire? Reflections on executive leadership and transition data over 15 years

This report reflects on four studies of not-for-profit executive leadership in 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2015 in America. It reveals minimal change in leadership demographics and dynamics, raising concern about whether the sector is intentional enough in aligning leadership aspirations with reality.

Winnie Dunn on bringing marginalised voices to the centre

Writer, editor and manager of Sweatshop Western Sydney Literacy Movement Winnie Dunn spoke at the launch of Diversity Arts Australia's Voice, Agency & Integrity report.

'The problem is that the Australian Arts sector is dominated by a cultural perspective where excellence is synonymous with Whiteness. It is a deep systemic issue of racism. I mean, that’s how Chris Lilley got to make multiple TV shows in Blackface and Brownface.'