OCARA

A MANIFESTO FOR RADICAL CHANGE

Racism in Oxford is a historic and ongoing, institutional and systemic issue.

We, the arts and cultural sector of Oxford come together to acknowledge the deep-rooted extent of this problem and our own accountability, and to express our shared determination to make radical change. We acknowledge the roles we have played in upholding white privilege and racial power dynamics. We recognise that, while many of us have taken action to improve equality and diversity, exclusive and prejudicial practices persist. People from the Global Majority* who make up 80% of the global population are still under-represented in our programmes and audiences, and at every level within our organisations from volunteers to management and boards. We understand that, to those outside of our organisations, we are gatekeepers for the status quo by keeping others out.

We have come together to say ‘enough’ and to commit, individually and collectively, to dismantle systemic racism which is a shameful and abhorrent feature of our sector and wider society. This involves urgent but sustained action on a personal, structural and generational level. It requires self-examination and a concerted effort to recognise and unlearn racial bias, behaviours and assumptions, and the stamina and determination to make real and lasting change. Acting together, we commit to this process of radical change by becoming anti-racist organisations, and to collectively shift the mindset and practices of our sector to one where diverse representation and anti-racism is the norm. We aim to provide exemplary leadership on anti-racism and in doing so, to act as a catalyst for other sectors to take action towards long-term change.

This commitment is underpinned by a compelling shared vision of Oxford in which the art and culture of the city, our audiences, and the workforces of our organisations, reflect and are enriched by the diversity of the people who live in it, and the wealth of histories and stories that exist in the world. Culture is an agent for progressive social change and through our collective work we will bring about greater equity and democracy in this world-renowned city, and use our influence to advocate for change within the arts and wider cultural sector. We will ensure that people of the Global Majority are properly celebrated in our programming, contribute through all levels of our organisations, and play leading roles in curating and creating internationally acclaimed art and culture in Oxford, one of the world’s great centres for education and learning.

The values and vision we express here are of an Oxford, where, in five years’ time, the mindset, outlook and landscape of the arts and cultural sector have drastically shifted. This is determined by a commitment to action across our organisational cultures and practices, through education and training, a review of our language and data collation, and in the form of new schemes to support artistic development and leadership and to widen audiences. We commit our expertise, influence and resources to a programme of radical change to enrich the cultural life of the city.

We do this as an anti-racist coalition of cultural organisations who believe in the transformational agency of culture as a progressive agent of social change.