50 years on from Arts Britain Ignores: how much has changed for black and Asian artists?
Conference to explore legacy of Naseem Khan’s seminal 1976 report about exclusion of minority ethnic artists It is 50 years since cultural historian Naseem Khan’s challenge to the British arts establishment was first published, and the question of who and what counts as British continues to be contested. The Arts Britain Ignores – Khan’s groundbreaking 1976 report, commissioned by organisations including the then…
Key points
- Conference in Leicester marks 50 years since Naseem Khan's report on minority ethnic artists.
- Arts Council England chair Dawn Airey gives inaugural speech and pledges action against racism.
- New book launched with essays and research on progress and gaps since 1976.
A conference in Leicester this Wednesday marks 50 years since the publication of Naseem Khan's 1976 report The Arts Britain Ignores. The report, commissioned by organisations including the then Arts Council of Great Britain, argued that the creativity of Britons of diverse ethnic backgrounds should be recognised, supported and respected.
The event, titled The Arts Britain Ignores: 50 Years On, is hosted by the Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage. It brings together artists, organisations, experts and policymakers to examine how much has changed in five decades.
What the conference covers
Contributors include Khan's daughter Amelia Torode, theatre director Jatinder Verma, broadcaster Brenda Emmanus and crossbench peer Lola Young. The conference also launches a new book, The Arts Britain Ignores at 50, published by the Serendipity Institute, with essays and new research.
Serendipity Institute chief executive and artistic director Pawlet Brookes said the book's timeline investigation shows funding for culturally diverse organisations has existed, but sustainability and growth have not. She also called for recognition of dance and theatre, as has happened in the visual arts.
We had Cool Britannia, we've had the 'ain't no black in the union jack'. We've had all of that narrative. But the reality is British is diverse
— Pawlet Brookes
Arts Council chair speaks
Dawn Airey, the new chair of Arts Council England, will give her inaugural speech at the conference. She is expected to say the journey Khan set in motion remains one of the sector's most important undertakings and will sit at the centre of her work.
Airey is also expected to say it is a hard time to be an artist in the country whatever your background, and harder still for many in the room. She is expected to describe racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism as part of daily life in the sector and to say those who do not experience it have a responsibility to stand with those who do, backing words with action.
