We will take time to listen and to consider our actions and to improve our understanding and commitment to fairness and equality.  We will question all aspects of our current operation and seek to eradicate any inequality that exists within our statements, our employment, our structures, our programming and in our practice of working with artists, staff, students and the local community.

To this end, we have developed a Race Equality Action Plan that sets out key deliverables over the coming year. This document will continue to evolve and improve through discussion and learning. Key initial actions include;

• Set up a Diversity and Equality Advisory Group where BAME students can offer their input into the programming and delivery of our work
• Positively seek to increase BAME representation within tuition and core staff
• Commit to ensuring that at least 10% of our commissions, residencies and workshops are delivered by BAME practitioners
• Ensure all staff attend diversity and anti-racism training and that we commit to discussing, reading and informing ourselves about issues around inequality
• Produce new commissioning/accessioning policy. This should include the identity of the artist as one of the factors considered when commissioning a new work or accepting a gift/loan

We want to increase engagement with BAME students and ensure that the programme we deliver is inclusive to all students. We are looking for BAME students to join a Diversity and Advisory Equality Group in order that there is an open discussion in which ideas or concerns are voiced in order to ensure LU Arts is for all students and its activities are informed by them.

This group will meet three times a year. The appointed students will be expected to help us deliver some key activity but also challenge us on any of our decisions. We want the group to help:

• Develop clear strategies for increasing engagement with BAME students that can be fed into LU Arts Race Equality Action Plan
• Review the impact of LU Arts policies and practices on race equality
• Shape our future programme activity with input of ideas
• Consider our marketing material and how we promote activity to ensure it is communicating effectively to all students
• Discuss barriers to access and how we might address these
• Develop partnership working

The meetings will be a safe space where you can express yourself freely. They will have to take place online initially, but we hope it will not be too long before they can then take place in person with a nice lunch (provided by LU Arts!). We are looking for six BAME students who have a passion for the arts to be part of the group. Each participant will be paid £60 to attend the three sessions. 

The initial deadline for applying to join this group has now passed but it's not too late to get involved. Just send an email to luarts@lboro.ac.uk telling us a bit about yourself and why you are interested in getting in this opportunity.