Principles, Ethics and Rights

Racial Equity and Representation

Summary of Good Practice Recommendations

Organisations have the responsibility to:

  • meet legal obligations in regards to equal opportunity law and legislation

  • ensure strong cultural representation at all levels: in boards, management, staff, exhibitions and programs

  • establish a caucus or committee of people that can represent and advocate for cultural safety needs

  • create an Equity Action Plan, and have robust anti-racism policies

  • consider the use of targets to ensure that staff from underrepresented groups are hired across all levels of the organisation

  • implement a robust evaluation and monitoring system to track your progress against equity goals

  • implement succession planning and invest in the next generation of diverse arts leaders

  • remunerate staff and artists appropriately. If people are tasked with additional labour to address anti-racism or other matters related to equity, honour this work with an additional consultation fee separate from their base salary/fee 

  • avoid tokenistic gestures by committing to long-term relationships with artists rather than one-off, box-ticking relationships

  • create spaces of cultural safety through consultation and open communication - be open to feedback and change 

  • collaborate rather than consult, on creative projects to ensure power and benefit sharing, see Community Engagement

  • recognise that each individual artist’s needs and lived experiences are unique, and what works for one individual may not work for another

Auslan Translation - Racial Equity and Representation Summary of Good Practice Recommendations