Power

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.'

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.

64 Million Artists: Cultural democracy in practice

This publication shares examples and case studies and provides a framework and argument for cultural democracy. Originating from the UK it is both a practical toolkit and a growing compendium of best practice.

A framework for action in response to moments of crisis and outrage

Working with vulnerable groups, especially groups of people who have been exposed to racial trauma, often also means working with moments of crisis arising from long-term injustices.

This blog post offers a framework for how to develop meaningful cultural actions with your affected audiences.

A Note on Call-Out Culture

Influential article on call-out culture and its performative nature.

'Especially in online venues like Twitter and Facebook, calling someone out isn’t just a private interaction between two individuals: it’s a public performance where people can demonstrate their wit or how pure their politics are.'

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.'

All We Need Is Audience Development?

Goran Tomka asks: who is developing the audiences, and what assumed premises do they work from? In this article, he argues the need to democratise audience development into a more equitable process.

Tomka also offers provocations and different ways of thinking - and the ways audience development is often a 'colonising effort'.

Angela Davis: 'Racism is embedded in the fabric of this country'

Activist and scholar Angela Davis speaks about the 2020 anti-racism movements, and the role of global capitalism in creating and perpetuating racism.

"What's so exciting about this moment is that we are recognising that racism is indeed institutional and structural. It is embedded in the very fabric of this country, and we're trying to figure out ways to begin to initiate the process of eliminating that racism."

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.'

Art, Whiteness, and Empire

Curator Dr. Kelli Morgan explores the themes of colonialism and whiteness in encyclopedic art museums. Morgan proposes a reinstallation framework that includes showcasing vital works that can anchor a reinstall about colonialism, highlighting portraits of actual colonizers, and using art to illustrate the history of global economy and colonialism.

Auckland gallery Māori arts curator calls out colonial institutions after resigning

An article reporting on leading Maori curator Nigel Borell's resignation from Auckland Art Gallery. "There were challenges when it came to allowing Māori to have authority over their works and for Borell being able to lead in decision-making [...] We want to do it ourselves."

Creative Connections: Balancing responsibility and innovation in volatile times

A panel from Australia Council for the Arts featuring Ananth Gopal and Tom Henderson from Polykala & Polykala.

It asks: What forms of formal and informal authority do we have in our contexts? How do we feel about providing strong guidance, clear communication and directives? Who’s going to be hurting most in your sphere — what plans do we have in place to mitigate harm, reassure them or at least acknowledge their hardship?

Australia needs more media diversity – and there are ways to achieve it

Bruce Guthrie outlines some steps to better media diversity, such as aiding small and medium publishers, and collaboration between government and the industry.

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.'

Australia's Music Festival Diversity Problem By The Numbers & Some Steps To Improve It

This article calls out the 'top 5 cop-outs for booking a lineup that is not diverse' and has statistical information on the lack of diversity in music festivals - and by extension the music industry. It interviews women of colour and non-binary artists like the Papua New Guinea-born musician Ngaiire who tells us it's time to "look outside of what the 'industry gods' tell us what’s marketable".

B.O.S.S. Calls Turner Prize Nomination ‘Extractive and Exploitative’

A statement from the Black Obsidian Sound System that calls out institutions, prize-culture and demands the rights to thrive in conditions that a nurturing and supportive - forging a better path ahead in the future for collaborations between institutions and collectives that practice social art.

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?'

Black Face

Overview of the history and contemporary expression of black face from the UK and the US.

'Popular contemporary ways of displaying blackface include: darkening your skin and especially your face; wearing clothes that you assume all black people wear and in a fashion that is mocking (think ‘ghetto’ or ‘thug’); throwing up obscure gang signs, or what you assume are gang signs, in order to ‘act black’; and depicting blackness in all its complexities as a caricature.'

‘Black Pain Is Not for Profit’: An Activist Collective Protests Luke Willis Thompson’s Turner Prize

An article discussing Luke Willis Thompson's Turner Prize nomination which triggered a protest with the slogan 'Black Pain is not for Profit'. Artist Rene Matic stated “Thompson’s work does not feel like a sensitive awareness-raising project, but a process of extraction, sensationalism and commodification”. Thompson, an artist of Polynesian and European heritage "sees his works as acts of solidarity with his subjects".

Boundaries in the Arts and Culture Industry: Caleb Nichols-Mansell

Caleb Nichols-Mansell is a palawa graphic designer and founder of Blackspace Creative, Tasmania's only First Nations-owned arts and cultural hub.

'When I’m told the budget or timeline ...it can become really clear that my involvement in the project has been a last minute decision.'

'A lot of companies will approach you and ask for Black artwork so that they can position themselves as Black-supporting or Black allies. But they also use that artwork in a way that builds their capital.'

Bystander Anti-Racism Project

A three-year project that looks at what people do when they witness racism - what actions they take, how likely they are to take action, obstacles to action and things that would facilitate action, as well as the impacts of taking action.

"There's two reasons why people don't speak up or speak out, our research shows. One is afraid of becoming a target themselves the second is because they say they didn't know what to say or do."

This resource offers campaign materials to encourage action.

Celebrating BIPOC Nonprofit Leaders: The Black Community Building Collaborative

As the nonprofit sector and unmet needs continue to grow, there’s a conscious effort by Black-led organizations to ensure that their services and communities are prioritized. By working to build enduring partnerships rather than transactional relationships with funders, the Black Community Building Collective prioritizes investments in the long-term sustainability of Black-led organizations throughout the community.

Center for Experimental Ethnography’s “Settler Colonialism, Slavery, and the Problem of Decolonizing

Resources from the 2021 conference “Settler Colonialism, Slavery, and the Problem of Decolonizing Museums" co-presented by the Center for Experimental Ethnography and the Penn Museum. The event looked at 're-evaluating practices and asking 'what might repair look like?'. Photo gallery and a decolonisation video playlist.

Image shows mural 'Decolonize And Chill/We Are Still Here', by artist and community activist Jaque Fragua.

Chapter excerpt from The Relationship is the Project

A good primer on "community-engaged practice" and ways to think about working with people in communities and building relationships without gatekeeping.

This book is published in Australia and this chapter excerpt has be posted by the UK based organisation Co-Creating Change

Collaboration with Greek-Australian communities

The British Museum’s controversial collections include the Parthenon Sculptures, or Marbles, taken in 1804 by Thomas Bruce (also known as Lord Elgin) from the Parthenon with the collusion of the Ottoman colonial rulers of Greece and the museum has refused to repatriate them.

When Canberra’s National Museum of Australia (NMA) planned to exhibit 170 Ancient Greek art works housed at the British Museum, they knew they needed the support of the Greek community in Australia. Here's how the did it.

Commissioning New Adventures: Building an Inclusive Process

Blog describing the commissioning process designed to increase diversity of scriptwriters in new series of the popular ‘Zombies Run!’ exercise game, first using ‘blind’ anonymous read-throughs to shortlist, then assessing writer bios to ‘promote’ submissions from under-represented groups.

'In every case where we felt our shortlist was unbalanced, we promoted extra submissions rather eliminating others. We worked by addition rather than subtraction.'

Considering Co-Creation

A report commissioned by the Arts Council England that shares thoughts on principles, ethics, and references in the area of co-creation by two organisations that deal with socially engaged arts - and presents new ideas that challenge current paradigms of community arts. While it is not an exhaustive work, it features a literature review and a survey of 77 practitioners and contributors.

Supplementary materials such as podcasts and a survey analysis are included as part of this research.

Considering Co-creation

Discover how co-creation can help you actively listen to and collaborate with local communities and form new partnerships as well as helpful insight on putting it into practice. A report and three podcasts.

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.

Creative Majority: ‘What Works’ to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion in the creative sector.

A report with case studies from Def Jam, Raising Films and NBC Universal. It recommends adopting a policy framework of the 'five As': Ambition, Allyship, Accessibility, Adaptability, and Accountability, as a continuum for ongoing appraisal and change.

The report can be used as a handbook for cultural and creative workers frustrated at the pace of change, and has potential application for other sectors, including higher education.

Creative Practitioners

Short film interviewing the eight UK and Australian practitioners in the INTERSECT peer mentorship, offering advice for institutions and artists of colour.

'While the programming of galleries, major art institutions supports diversity in terms of the art works and the artists that they programme, unfortunately behind the scenes it's very different. That type of diversity is not seen in staffrooms, in meeting rooms and in the board room.' Tian Zhang

Cultural education has to be about improving outcomes for mob, not making white people feel better

'I don’t think the problem of racism, now or at any point in history, is because of a lack of ‘cultural awareness’. The myth that colonisation happened to us because the colonisers didn’t understand us...
That isn’t a ‘cultural awareness’ problem, it’s a colonisation problem; a white supremacy problem. If you want to understand why colonisation happened then you need to learn about racism and colonisation, not about Indigenous cultures.'

Cultural governance, cultural equity and self-determination in the dance sector: Merindah Donnelly

Wiradjuri woman Merindah Donnelly is the co-CEO and Executive Producer at BlakDance.

'Let’s not get distracted from our own self-determination by trying to ensure that non-Indigenous organisations are doing cultural engagement better. They got to do that. But we also have our own thing and that’s a human right and we can live in a world where both of those things coexist.'

Decolonization Is for Everyone

Discussion of the brutal history of colonisation in Canada and the processes of historical amnesia that prevents its affects being addresses.

'Whether you have ancestors that were colonisers or colonised, we are all colonised people.'

Does the Museum Model Work?

Can art museums break away from their original purpose as a 'civilising' influence to be redefined as spaces that actually serve the communities in which they reside? The article includes quotes from former Queens Museum President and Executive Director Laura Raicovich and Chaédria LaBouvier, the first black curator and black woman to organize an exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum, who spoke out about being sidelined in the promotion of the Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibit she curated.

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.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The British Council's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Strategy.

"Our work is based on building meaningful, enduring and respectful relationships across different cultures. We cannot do this without a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion."

Ethics and engagement in community art

A discussion of the difficulties of getting engagement right, particularly in rural communities. "An ethics of mutual learning and openness" must offer not just "representation, but also ownership". Shuvangi Khadka adds "outside artists must remain open to their own vision being radically changed via community critique."

Explainer: what is systemic racism and institutional racism?

Article that unpacks issues around systemic and institutional racism, after Joaquin Phoenix called out systemic racism in this BAFTA acceptance speech.

'“Systemic racism”, or “institutional racism”, refers to how ideas of white superiority are captured in everyday thinking at a systems level: taking in the big picture of how society operates, rather than looking at one-on-one interactions.'

Gary Foley: Advice for white Indigenous activists in Australia

First Nations 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.'

Gauging Readiness for Partnership

Designed for local US municipalities working with artists in general, this one-page checklist offers a good self-assessment on issues such as compromise, disruption to usual practices and equitable compensation.

"Use these questions to help gauge if you and your potential partner are ready to work together. Ask these early on in the process."

Grants Management Intelligence: participatory grantmaking

The continued rise of participatory grantmaking in Australia mirrors its growing prominence around the world. But which model is best for you? What does each involve? This resource provides a few options for you to consider.

Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies

While focused on research in Australian First Nations communities, these guidelines contain leading principles useful in all cross-cultural research in six categories:

* Rights, respect and recognition
* Negotiation, consultation, agreement and mutual understanding
* Participation, collaboration and partnership
* Benefits, outcomes and giving back
* Managing research: use, storage and access
* Reporting and compliance.

How did rock music get so white?

Professor of media studies at the University of Virginia and Slate music critic Jack Hamilton interviewed on how rock and roll changed from an inter-racial expression to the soundtrack of whiteness.

‘Pat Boone covering Little Richard is probably the most egregious example of this. “But he was able to get his music played on radio stations that wouldn't play the black originators of that music and he was someone who almost objectively made much worse versions of that than the originals.”’

How the Art of Social Practice Is Changing the World, One Row House at a Time

Artist Rick Lowe transformed derelict houses over 20 years into a thriving, African American cultural hub that preserves the community's roots. It is both a work of art and an act of community organising.

How to be a good Indigenous ally

Checklist of seven actions that non-Indigenous people can take to support Australian First Nations communities, including 'preference our voices' and 'be ok with not always being part of the conversation'.

'We need good allies. We are only three per cent of the Australian population. We can’t raise the profile of issues affecting us without our allies. But what does a good ally look like?'

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 Bring Your Cultural Identity to Work

Minority employees who share their race, ethnicity or nationality in meaningful ways with colleagues at work can lead to greater inclusivity and respect, according to research from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The study found that rich cultural-identity expression that moves beyond superficial discussions to reveal parts of the inner self connected to one’s cultural identity fosters closeness and increases the majority group’s learning.

How To Co-Create: Practical Lessons From The Field

Co-creation can be misused, and the various risks that come with co-creation are explored in this guide. Alongside this are tips for using ethical methods that can help to reap the benefits of shared power and authorship. This guide warns against generic solutions, stating that local, societal factors must always be taken into account.

How to Design and Manage Equity-focused Evaluations

One in a series of UNICEF Evaluation Working Papers that present strategic evaluation findings, lessons learned and innovative evaluation approaches and methodologies. Contextualises and defines Equity-focused Evaluations and outlines how to manage them, including comprehensive tools, templates and case studies.

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.'

'I have never stopped': Aileen Moreton-Robinson on 20 years of Talkin' Up to the White Woman

Interview with Goenpul author Aileen Moreton-Robinson on the re-release of her book that critiques feminist constructions of Indigenous women and Indigenous women's constructions of white feminism. The new edition looks at her book's initial reception. The reviews were “playing chicken at the intersection … [their] understanding of how power works limited to subjective and individual choices about being ‘good’ or ‘bad’.”

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. '

Indigenising the Arts: Jacob Boehme

For Jacob Boehme, a multi-disciplinary Narangga and Kaurna artist and Director of First Nations Programs at Carriageworks in Sydney, best practice in the arts begins with moving past inherited colonial systems of transactional art making towards trade systems influenced by traditional models.

‘Best practice’ is all First Nations teams not succumbing to the Western lens. ‘Best practice’ is foregrounding and centering First Nations’ performance methodologies at the beginning and/or centre.'

Indigenous Cultural Protocols and the Arts

Case studies in multiple art forms of how arts organisations have implemented the landmark Creative Australia 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.

Informal Networks and Cultural Collaboration

In this short video, Natasha Ginwala emphasises the versatile benefits of reaching out to informal networks, especially for first-time art patrons. As case studies, she outlines two locally run art and culture events held in South Asia in the past.

Invitation to the Party - Donna Walker-Khune Lecture Transcript

Donna Walker-Khune is America’s leading audience diversity expert. This is a public lecture delivered in Australia in 2003. As the author of 'Invitation to the Party', she reflects on what makes diverse audience development strategies work, gives examples of success stories, and advice on how to develop deep links with culturally diverse communities for the arts.

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.'

Letter from BIPOC Collective to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

After a racist incident at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, BIPOC (Black and Indigenous people of Color) staff wrote a frank and insightful letter to the leadership team with a list of key demands to bring racial justice and diversity to the institution.

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.

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?'

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?'

Participatory Grantmaking Aims to Dismantle Power Imbalances between Funders and Communities

An interview with Urban Institute fellow Jasmine Johnson about participatory grant making. It provides insights into some of these knowledge gaps through a qualitative study of 10 funders in small, midsize, and large cities across the USA. Johnson gives key takeaways from her study in this interview, three things to consider before adopting participatory grant making and the challenges of using this funding model.

Partner Power

This 'Technique for Building More Authentic Community Partnerships Right from the Start' offers a model of consultation and collaboration used by the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History in the US to build an exhibition in collaboration with the community. Includes a video on conducting a meeting and worksheet with sample questions, using active listening and open-ended questions.

“It felt more equal...rather than appearing as though we were just trying to tick a box on community engagement.”

Race Forward: Creating Cultures and Practices for Racial Equity

"Creating Cultures and Practices for Racial Equity contains a variety of tools that emerged from Race Forward’s Racial Equity in the Arts Innovation Lab to help artists, arts advocates, culture bearers, and cultural workers to imagine, plan, and implement racial equity strategies in arts organizations."

Racial Equity Tools Glossary

The Racial Equity Tools Glossary defines a wide range of terms used in work to achieve racial equity and racial justice at every level, including board and senior management in systems, organisations and communities.

Racism in the UK film industry: what needs to change, and who needs to change it?

Six workers in and around UK film discuss racial inequality - and what is needed in terms of meaningful workplace changes in the screen 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.'

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.'

Self-determination in the creative arts: Ben Graetz

Darwin performing artist Ben Graetz has Iwaidja, Malak Malak and Badu Island heritage, was 2018 LGBTI Person of the Year and a member of Browns Mart Theatre First Nations Advisory Board.

'Sophia [Hall] understood that she had to do the work. We were there to give her advice on best practice and it was up to her to do the homework to make the changes and come back to us and go: Is this what you mean? ... she really understood that it was up to her to do the work, not the other way around.'

She's Price(d)less report: the economics of the gender pay gap

A report which found that Australia currently lacks the data required to measure the impact of intersectionality on pay - a very important measure. It also covers the impacts of gender discrimination, care responsibilities and occupational segregation on the nation's gender pay gap.

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. '

Taking action for cultural safety

Extract from the book 'The Relationship is the Project' on Cultural Safety and an overview of its four core principles:

1. Critical Self-Reflection
2. Engaged Communication
3. Minimised Power Imbalances
4. Decolonised Practice

'Cultural safety helps us develop different ways of thinking and talking about discrimination and then act to effect change.'

#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

The Blueprint for Muslim Inclusion: Recommendations for Film Industry Professionals

A broad set of recommendations for film industry professionals. Includes sector-based guidance, solutions, examples of production companies and studios; agencies; festivals; film and drama schools.

The Decolonising of Aboriginal Representation on our Screens

Host Leila Gurruwiwi and panel discuss First Peoples' identity, how First Nations people want to be portrayed, and the Australian film and television industry.

The Exhibitionist

Art tours of UK galleries and museums that position works in the context of colonialism, imperialism and racism.

'we unravel the role colonialism played in shaping and funding a major national collection, looking at the broader material history of celebrated works: where the money comes from, the ways they’ve been displayed, and the ideological aesthetics at work. The history of British art is also the history of empire and genocide, written by collectors who traded in landscapes and lives.'

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 Story of Race: Dianne Jones and Odette Kelada

Ballardong artist Dianne Jones, anglo and Egyptian writer Dr Odette Kelada and Worimi educator and storyteller Genevieve Grieves on the story of race, intercultural collaboration and race literacy.

Kelada: 'People really want to talk about race, they just need to know how to do it.'

Jones: 'We start with the fact that race is a story, and it’s a story that hasn’t been told in a way that’s clear and visible.'

The Unusual Suspects: damaging for Filipino stories

Gloria Demillo writes about how not all representation is productive, and how damaging the impact of bad representation can be to a vulnerable group. The Unusual Suspects and its portrayal of Filipino domestic workers are harmful to ongoing work against worker abuse and exploitation.

Demillo argues that representation should come from community engagement, imploring creatives to consider: who is their real audience, and who should be telling the story?

‘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.'

'Pay the rent': Invasion Day rallies around Australia protest against 26 January celebrations

Coverage of the 2020 'pay the rent' Invasion Day protests on 26 January, the national holiday marking the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships to Australia.

“Whether you live here, or in Gippsland, or over in Meanjin in Brisbane, you live on Aboriginal land,” Gunnai and Gunditjmara woman Meriki Onus told the crowd in Melbourne. “You have an obligation to pay rent to the local blackfellas of that area.”

Too many diversity initiatives are neglecting junior Black employees. We can fix that

Four suggestions for success where other diversity programs have failed.

Towards a racially just workplace

Overcoming 'the illusion of inclusion'. This article sets out three key guidelines for a better approach to diversity - learning lessons from diversity efforts that have failed in the USA. It's a long and broad overview that covers work issues at all levels.

Unseen. Unheard. Race and Disability - Black disabled experience in the UK's music industry

Black Lives in Music's 2021 survey revealed Black disabled people working in the UK music industry face pronounced challenges for opportunities and funding; 91% of survey respondents are dissatisfied with current levels of industry support.

The report includes calls to action to address this in the areas of Representation, Consultation and Commitment.

Utilizing the Arts to Support Racial Justice

One of the United States' leading audience development strategists Donna Walker-Khune in conversation with Michelle Taylor the founder of the artist management company, Passion Music Group.

This inspiring conversation has a lot of educational resources and traces the history and background of The Blacksmiths, a creative coalition committed to using the arts to support racial justice movements and engaging with people of colour and the broader community in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Watch now: Using First Nations Protocols for Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts

Lucy Byrne with Patricia Adjei, Dr Paula Abood, Travis De Vries and Jake Smithers as they discuss the First Nations Protocols. Together they highlight the importance of everyone understanding these Protocols to ensure care of First Nations Intellectual Property through appropriate permissions, acknowledgement and consent. This discussion illustrates how everyone can be an ally in holding these Protocols up to accomplish safe consultation and consent when using First Nation stories & knowledge.

We and AI Response to the Race and Ethnic Disparities Report 2021

A negative example of working practices within a consultation process by government body. We and AI address the specific ways in which they believe their contribution to a report on race was misused by the UK government.

What Does It Mean to Decolonize a Museum?

An article looking at different interpretations of what decolonizing a museum means. Challenging white supremacy, reflecting diversity, choice of language and the importance of having conversations about power and authority are discussed. The piece ends with a quote from Olga Viso: museums "must position themselves as learning communities, not impenetrable centers of self-validating authority.”

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 Should You Work For Free? (An Artist's Perspective)

A cogent article that is broadly applicable about paying artists for their work, and presents a compelling argument for why artists shouldn't work for free - and how unpaid labour feeds into deeper issues of inequity and exploitation.

White Fragility

The 2011 article in which Robin DiAngelo introduces her theory which became her best-selling book.

'White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium.'

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.'

Whitewashed: why does Australian TV have such a problem with race?

Discussion of representation in Australian TV, from the awful stereotypes of the 90s, like Neighbours' first non-white family, the Lims, being accused of eating a dog, to shows that got it right, such as Gary Foley on A Country Practice.

'Crucially, Foley says, he was allowed to write his character himself. “[Creator] Jim Davern rung me up and asked me if I was interested,” Foley told Guardian Australia. “I said I was only interested if I could write my own character and my own dialogue.”'

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?’.

Why is this racist, sexist show getting an encore?

Critical review of the Opera Australia production of Miss Saigon.

'Today, most people in Vietnam are under 35 and don’t remember the war. For many in the West, Vietnam equals the Vietnam War. The plot of this musical perpetuates many stereotypes: America is the dreamland and Asian women are sexualised objects that need rescuing.'

Writing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Characters in Fiction

This article discusses the problem of cultural awareness in Australian publishing when it comes to writing First Nations characters. It presents a series of prompts and further reading for non-Indigenous writers who want to include First Nations characters in their work and who want to avoid stereotyping and insensitive portrayal.