- Race – a social construct that is usually associated with biology and linked with physical characteristics such as skin colour or hair texture.
- Ethnicity – a social construct linked with cultural expression and identification. o Race and ethnicity are used to categorise and characterise people groups.
- “BAME” – an acronym used by governments bodies to denote black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. - This acronym is reductive and pigeon-holes people groups by what they are not – white. It has been recommended that government refrain from using this acronym.
- The CLB rejects this and other similar reductive terms.
- “Global Majority” – this term is thought to be empowering and signifies that those of African, Asian, Latin American and Arab descent form most of the world’s population – this rejects whiteness as the global norm.
- Minoritized Ethnic Groups - An emerging term that can replace ethnic minority and BAME/BME that recognises how specific ethnic groups have been minoritized through social structures and processes. This term acknowledges that groups who are minorities in the UK are majorities elsewhere.
Resources/Opportunities
Amy Morin, Verywell Mind (2020) The Difference between Race and Ethnicity. An article that outlines the differences between race and ethnicity, which are often mistakenly used interchangeably.
Institute of Race Relations. Definitions. This document is one of many publications from the Institute of Race Relations, an educational charity that carries out research, publish and collect resources on race relations throughout the world.
The More Than A Moment pledge - the West Midlands arts sector's promise to take radical, bold, and immediate action, to dismantle the systems that have for too long kept Black* artists and creatives from achieving their potential in the arts and cultural industries.
Black Lives in Music’s recent report Being Black in the UK Music Industry (2021)
The Race Equality Code 2020 – an accountability framework designed to provide organisations across all sectors with the opportunity to address race inequality within boardroom and senior leadership settings.
UCL (2021) Major study of racial inequality in UK film industry
Girl Grinder UK CIC – a movement and community that works to create opportunities for Black and Asian women and girls across the region.
MAIA – an arts and social justice organisation based in the West Midlands, UK and working worldwide
- MAIA connects community-rooted artists with resources and infrastructure.
- MAIA’s mission is to “invest in the transformative possibilities of the Black imagination”.
The Black Music Therapy Network - an organization comprised of Black students, practitioners, musicians, business owners, researchers, educators, and cultural workers deeply invested in our people.
- The Black Music Therapy Network’s mission is to support the health and well-being of Black communities through music therapy.
Black Bectu Network – a network bringing the experiences and concerns of Black, Asian and minority ethnic people working in the creative industries to light.
Jake Kanter (2020) Demanding Change: Why, in 2020, over 700 Black, Asian and minority ethnic TV workers wrote to UK networks demanding action on racial equality.
Anti-Racism Touring Rider – A guide developed by Graeae, offering organisations a freelancers a series of actions for anti-racist practice and giving a framework for discussion and support before and during a tour.
Race equality through anti-racism guide (2021) – from the British Council.
Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre (2021) Using computer vision to improve onscreen representation. A series of reports on the issue of diversity on our screens.
The Conversation (2020) Why you don’t see many black and ethnic minority faces in cultural spaces – and what happens if you call out the system
BFI, Naomi Obeng (2020) Racism in the UK film industry – BFI surveyed a professional panel about racial inequality. This article presents the survey’s findings.
Ballet Black – a professional ballet company that celebrates dancers of Black and Asian descent.
Sarita Malik (2019) Action, not theory: Diversity in creative industries – an article that explores the civic value and responsibility of the arts in establishing diversity.
Laurie Mompelat (2018) A creative clap back to racism in the arts
Punch Records - the UK’s leading Music and Arts agency who have a commitment to working with Black Music, Arts and Culture.
Manchester Evening News (2021) British Bhangra conquers cultural racism to go global – outlines how the popularity of Bhangra music has and continues to struggle against racism.
Dr Rajinder Dudrah (2021) Bhangra – A book that charts the history of the musical phenomenon that is British bhangra music from the streets of Birmingham to its place in the mainstream music world.
Indian Cultural Society at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
Sampad – a cultural organisation based in the Midlands Arts Centre, intended to connect people with South Asian and British Asian Arts and Heritage, and to play a cutting-edge role in the creative economy.
Sandwell & Birmingham Mela – the UK’s biggest South Asian music festival.
Soul City Arts – an organisation based in Birmingham that brings diverse communities together and using the arts to create platforms for all to speak.
Unlock – a toolkit developed by Inc Arts for the create and cultural to take measurable action against racism.
Arts Against Racism – A national strategy on anti-racist action in the creative sector that is currently being developed by Inc Arts. This is due to launch in January 2022.
Black Lives Matter Charter for the UK Heritage Sector – a charter developed by Culture & that encourages heritage organisations to commit to a stance against racism. The Royal Academy’s Race Equity Statement (2020) – a pledge to do better as an institution committed to inclusion and racial equity