Racism starts at the top

Published Tuesday 7 August 2007 at 11:05

I was delighted that The Stage made the decision to devote the front page (July 26) to an issue which is very close to my heart. I was also incensed by the quotes from James Purnell. As a member of the black acting and directing community for 40 years, I have some thoughts on the matter. Nobody ever asked me or anyone I know what we think of “inclusion rates” for black and minority ethnic (BME) artists, so where Mr Purnell gets his information that the inclusion of BME artists is “alright now” is beyond my comprehension.

The arts should lead the way and take on the mantle of improved inclusion. The figures and data should be properly analysed and interrogated. Where are the positive outcomes for the black community? For example, which main houses and traditional arts institutions have a British black Caribbean or white and black Caribbean male as the main decision maker? Given recent government and Ofsted research into the institutionalised racism still rife in the education system, I think we can safely say that Mr Purnell is jumping the gun. Throw out the targets by all means because they were meaningless and not properly interrogated. The complacent attitude, as demonstrated from Mr Purnell’s “taken for granted” statement, is the perfect proof that institutionalised racism starts at the top. It aptly describes the pathetic and failing attempts to include BME artists and audiences in any meaningful way. You need BME decision makers in highly influential decision-making positions to make any inroads into the issues.

Where is the funding for positive heritage and positive images of the black community? Too often it is all revolving around fringe and community centres. For black people to get a look in at a main house or well-known theatre, the play has to have come from abroad or be written by August Wilson. What about British black artists? The artistic director of Glyndebourne was famously quoted in the Guardian some time ago as saying that there were no black opera singers good enough to play the role of Othello. Nobody seems to know about the droves of black artists who are classically trained, with little hope of meaningful professional work. Trained for workshop performances, never to get the main part. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.

Or alternatively we get told that we can have a workshop as long as we fill in a 50-page form and sell out our principles, or better still, give our good idea to a white director who has more experience.

I know for a fact that an application for funding for a superb script and portrayal of Mary Seacole’s life was never successful and as usual the company ended up doing a very worthy production with no money, on a shoestring. The theatre practitioners quoted in the article are clearly beneath the radar of the ‘top guy’, even though they are described as prominent figures in the black artistic community by The Stage. I know they are, but James Purnell does not know it, because he never consulted them about his inclusion target success, did he? The outcomes are just not evident, they are not there. Where is the achievement, where are the role models with powers of decision making? If there are people in these positions they must be ‘yes people’ because they are not making a difference. They are frightened that if they tell it how it really is, they will be viewed as a threat and get no work. I should know, I have told it how it is for 40 years and the only people who will employ me now are independent black theatre companies.

Joseph Charles

Hampden Road

Hornsey

London

N8