Welsh arts taskforce established to combat systemic racism

A taskforce has been set up to address systemic racism in the Welsh arts sector.

The Wales, Culture and Race Task Force has been created by a group of organisations including Fio theatre company, Wales Millennium Centre, Arts and Business Cymru and Literature Wales.

The taskforce plans to improve diversity in the arts sector in Wales. It will focus on areas including accountability, research and ambassadors, in addition to creating a diversity council, a diverse board bank and setting up secondments for people of colour in the arts.

According to Fio, only one out of 67 of Arts Council Wales’ regularly funded arts organisations is black, Asian or ethnically diverse-led, which is defined as where more than half of the executive team and board are black, Asian or of an ethnic minority background.

Abdul Shayek, artistic director at Fio, said: "Wales has been facing these issues for a significant amount of time, not just within the arts and cultural sector but right across Welsh society.

"The chronic lack of representation at all levels has been ignored for far too long, we need change. We are no longer asking but demanding that it happens now."

More than £20,000 has so far been raised towards the taskforce from organisations and individuals. The money will be used to pay 12 freelancers who will contribute towards the plan for change.