Spike Island is committed to being an anti-racist organisation, and so we’re investing time and resources into learning more about, and actively confronting, structural inequality.

We pro-actively champion, collaborate with, support and give space to a diverse range of artists, but there is much more to do; we will continue to learn from artists in order to tackle existing barriers to entry or collaboration. 

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is well demonstrated by our artistic programme, but we know that we could and should do more to engage diverse communities through our governance and staffing.

Being an anti-racist organisation requires ongoing work that never stops. We will continue to consult on these issues with our staff, board and external advisors. 

Our Anti-Racist Commitments 

• Continue with our commitment to work with over 30% Black, Asian and Global Majority artists through our artistic programmes (Exhibitions, Public Programmes and Artist Development activities). 
• Annually publish the demographics of our staff, trustees, audiences and the various freelance workers and practitioners (artists, curators, technicians, etc.) we employ and work with, outlining how we plan to ensure diversity across all of these groups. 
• Diversify and develop our board membership to ensure it is representative of our city, the artists and arts professionals we work with, and the audiences we seek to engage. Our present Board makeup is 79% White British, 7% Mixed: White & Black Caribbean, 14% Black/Black British: Black African although these figures do not reflect the recruitment of five new Trustees so far in early 2023–24.
• Review our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan together with our staff team. Our EDI Action Plan will be agreed upon by our EDI Working Group which meets every 6 weeks. 
• Ensure that our workforce is more representative of society by updating our recruitment policies and procedures. Continue periodic unconscious bias training for our staff and trustees, which began in March 2021. 
• Regularly commission and present art and ideas focusing on Black, Asian and Global Majority experience. 
• Ensure that our artists’ studios are managed fairly for everyone, guaranteeing equality of opportunity for Black, Asian and Global Majority artists, as well as other underrepresented groups, within our community. We introduced a Studio Review Process in 2019 to make sure this happens. Find out more about the Studio Review Process. 
• We have reviewed our current studio offer and how we can remove any barriers to inclusion. We are now offering Studio Bursaries to support artists who are currently underrepresented in the sector and our community, including those who experience racism, and will continue to offer Studio Bursaries on an ongoing basis. 
• Ensure that our Associates membership network supports more artists and arts professionals who identify as Black, Asian or Global Majority. Our Associates Bursary is now open for applications from people who identify as D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent, come from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and/or who and/or people from Global Majority backgrounds, as they are currently underrepresented in our network. Associates Bursaries will continue until at least autumn 2024. 
• Use our platform to raise awareness of anti-racism and support the cause publicly and internally. 
• In 2021, we published a Code of Conduct which is reviewed annually and can be read and downloaded via our website.Create a publicly available Ethics Policy to maintain openness, guide decision-making across the organisation, and ensure we do not contribute financially to, or benefit from, companies that condone racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist or transphobic behaviour. 
• Further develop and create new structures for consultation through which to learn from, and work collaboratively with, Black, Asian and Global Majority practitioners, audiences, staff, stakeholders, peers and experts to help embed change. 
• Continue to pay all artists and freelancers fairly and on time, and review fees and rates of pay annually. We publish Spike Island Fees via our website. 

We will continue to publish our work on anti-racism via this page.