Abstract
Calls to create more just, equitable and inclusive cultural spaces have become more prescient in the public agenda following inequalities highlighted by multiple emerging crises. Despite this, there remains a lack of representation and participation of migrant, racialised and minoritised groups in the creative sector, and particularly so in publicly funded galleries. This paper considers the following question: What does an equitable, community-led gallery look like? The paper draws on preliminary results from a current project aimed at addressing social and structural inequalities that hinder participation of migrant and ethnic groups in the cultural sector in a post COVID-19 recovery context. The project seeks to understand the role of publicly funded galleries in some of London’s most ethnically diverse neighbourhoods. Publicly funded galleries and museums can contribute and be shaped by engaging and including the experience of migrant and ethnic groups, by becoming spaces of encounter and dialogue and by promoting and increasing equality, inclusion, and institutional diversity. The research is beginning to tap into the role that publicly funded galleries and museums have in creating a more just and equitable cultural space post pandemic, particularly the role that galleries and museums have as civic spaces, anchors of community wellbeing and in becoming a crucial partner in creative inclusive practices in neighbourhood change. The research reflects on new directions for change in the broader museum and gallery sector.
Presenters
Patria Roman VelazquezAssociate Professor, Innovations in Research, Culture, Media and Creative Industries, King's College, London, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
COMMUNITY-LED, CIVIC SPACES, PUBLIC FUNDED GALLERIES, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION
